


Love is a Battlefield

by fujimore



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Animated), DCU (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Clark Kent, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Bruce Wayne, Plot Twists, Romance, Superheroes, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-01-18 01:33:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 59,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1410064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujimore/pseuds/fujimore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce Wayne has been reluctant in finding a partner for his heat due to his duties as Batman. Can Superman help him? Or would the change in friendship be too much for him to handle?</p><p>Or</p><p>Bruce and Clark get involved and things only become more complicated from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s been three days since he last patrolled the streets of Gotham.

The cool night air feels blissful on the half of his face that isn’t covered by the black mask. Still, it’s not enough to put out the dying embers of his latest heat. The burn had left him gasping for breath with a sore wrist.

It’s not like he absolutely hated being born an omega. It has its advantages and disadvantages. Bruce Wayne plays the role well in front of all the cameras, and his handsome features are enough to draw attention away from the darker aspects of his life. There are certain perks to it when all he needs to do is bat his eyelashes and smile at an alpha in the right to get what he wants. Multimillion dollar contracts for Wayne Enterprises are easier to secure with him around, and he is easily one of the most desired eligible bachelor in Gotham City. It's easy enough to slip into the charismatic role with the gender he us born with, but then again it is his nature to utilize everything he has as a potential weapon.

A downside to it all would have to be the three days every month where he feels the incessant urge to hump everything. Sure sex during his heat can be extremely pleasurable with the right partner, but three entire days filled with all sorts of carnal acts and pleasures is a little excessive by his standards. He is known for stoicism in his night life after all. It leaves him feeling exhausted and usually a little worse for the wear, no matter how much his stamina has improved over the years. He doesn't like the desires it brings forth and has done well to keep that side of him in control over the years. _Well enough._ He grimaces. 

Did evolution really need omegas to be driven insane with lust for three whole days every month to ensure impregnation by an alpha or beta? He could do without all the hormones pumping through his system telling him to procreate. Either way, he wasn’t an expert in evolutionary theory of sex. He prefers straight forward evidence and theories...are just theories after all. He just knows that there is an undeniable satisfaction in being plugged and filled by an alpha’s knot. However, that may merely be sex triggering the release of endorphins in his brain to create the sensation of contentment and euphoria.

In those moments, he could almost forget it all and drift into a place far away.

He used to enjoy sharing his heats with other people. There was even a time when he stayed with the same partner for several months. But ever since he took up the mantle of _The Batman,_ there just always seem to be so many things to do. So many scars to hid, so many secrets to keep. He needs to protect Gotham, run the Justice League, investigate potential cases, maintain the image of a billionaire playboy...

He has no time to invest in personal relationships when the Batman was becoming more his true self and Bruce Wayne the shadow in the day. Despite Alfred's protestation, he doesn't want to drag any innocent bystander into his hectic life. That would be irresponsible and reckless. He's gotten quite good at convincing himself. 

He still has sex every now and then when the mood strikes him of course, like with the alpha Selina Kyle.

He knows exactly where his line is with her. She is a criminal. She is Catwoman. But her aim was never to permanently harm anyone...most of the time. Still, they could never be anything more serious than a tryst in the night, a warm breath in the frigid night that dissipates all too quickly. Heats are a lot more intimate than that. More personal. He knows how easy it is to lose control in the throes of passion. He would be leaving himself too open, exposing too much unnecessary vulnerability. _Weakness._

The alpha, beta, omega models that come with him to public events for Wayne Enterprises are merely props to his image as the omega playboy. As soon as the flashing lights and people are gone, he sends the girls and occasional guys home. They would all wonder if they did anything wrong of course since they all have heard too much of his reputation, but in reality, they would never be anything more than a story in the tabloids. The work he is doing is too important to risk some random stranger accidentally discovering on a night over.

He is the face of a billion dollar company by day, and by night he is Batman, protector of Gotham City who brings fear and justice to all criminals lurking in the night.

He took it upon himself to protect this city that his parents worked so hard to build up. They had almost succeeded in transforming Gotham into a better place for everyone to live before they…

 _No_. He would not go down that path tonight, not right now at least because he knows it's an unavoidable route that his mind wanders too often.

He has work to do.

 

* * *

 

“Busy night, Master Bruce?” Alfred greets him as he walks towards the cave’s advance computer system, courtesy of WayneTech and Lucius Fox. Alfred was holding a silver tray that had a glass of water and a sandwich prepared for his return. He took the glass of water to quench his thirst and sat down in front of the screen in an all too familiar routine. 

“Another night in Gotham with the usual crooks and hoodlums,” he responds. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. How was the city when Dick was here?” he asks after a pause, his eyes were faced in front of him, but his ear were attentive to Alfred'd words. He begins looking up information pertaining to an abandoned warehouse near the pier. There were some squatters there tonight, not uncommon for Gotham’s homeless. What was strange was how they came upon some unmarked firearms. A dispute between two men over the territory left one shot and injured in the hospital, hitting the radar of Gotham City’s police department.

“Master Dick took care of some mugging and robberies while you were indisposed,” Alfred said, taking the empty glass, but leaving the sandwich next to Bruce a subtly suggestion that his body needs more sustenance than water. “Nothing _he_ couldn’t handle," Alfred quips. "Before he returned to Jump City, he left a message to tell you to ’take care’.”

Bruce hums in acknowledgement.

Richard "Dick" Grayson was one of the few people who knew that the Batman was in fact Bruce Wayne.

He met Dick years ago when he went to a performance by Haly's Circus. The Flying Graysons were a family of acrobatic performers; however due to a mishap, John and Mary Grayson plummeted to their deaths in front of their young son, who was a part of their acrobatic act. Their trapeze equipment had been sabotaged by a member of the local mafia after they refused to pay the local protection fees. The striking similarity in witnessing his own parents’ deaths caused an ache in Bruce’s heart for the young boy, and on an impulse, Bruce Wayne adopted Dick Grayson. 

Dick was a clever boy. He quickly discovered that Bruce Wayne was in fact Batman. Perhaps, it was only a matter of time that Dick noticed the man who took him in was rarely home. A few days of snooping had led him to sneaking up on Alfred who was using the secret elevator to the batcave. From then on, Dick began following him around on missions, applying the athletic skills he acquired from time at the circus to different endeavors. He tried to dissuade the boy early on, but then he recognized a similar fire behind Dick's eyes that reminded him all too much of himself. Together, they were able to bring Dick’s parents’ killer to justice. 

In honor of his parents’ memories, Dick wore the brightly colored outfit his mother made for him when they were performing and became Robin, Boy Wonder.

But as all children grew up, so did Dick. At fifteen, he left Gotham City to move to Jump City, deciding that he wanted to be more than Batman’s sidekick. He founded the Teen Titans with a group of young heroes and a created new home at Titans Tower.

Despite his reservations in letting Dick go, Bruce knew it was only a matter of time. All birds leave the nest at one point. He couldn’t keep the boy with him forever in Gotham. The world was too big to leave unexplored. Though he still kept frequent tabs on his former charge whether the young man was aware or not.

He remembers the few years he himself spent traveling all over Europe and Asia in anonymity before coming back to Gotham City. It was during that time that he found the desire to bring justice and vengeance to the place of his parents' murder. With his mind and body strengthened from experiences he accumulated, Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham City and began making a name for himself.

The city had only deteriorated in his absence. Crime was at an all-time high with multiple homicides and robberies occurring each night. The police force was spread too thin across the large city where new crime bosses had risen up and were unarguably the ones in charge. Homelessness was on the rise and the future looked bleak for the citizens who weren't as cunning as their counterpart. 

The people needed a hero who could have no weaknesses to watch over them and keep the nightmares on the streets at bay. They needed someone who would help them where the law could not. They needed the Dark Knight- vigilante, hero and possible mad-man who would take the safety of an entire city into his own hands.

Who would assume that the hero of the night would be an omega? 

Although society has changed much from accepting the outdated idea that the omega belongs at home taking care of the children while the alpha is at work, there are still remnants to that way of thinking today. Alphas and betas still outnumber omegas in jobs with high physical demands such as the military or police force, and most of omega jobs pertain to the medical field and service industry where the work was considered more fitting to their subservient nature. Recent surveys have shown omegas to be quite successful in business, though, and perhaps that was a sign of changing times.

Bruce did not care for the gender he was born with. Some things are just out a person’s control. What he could do was shape his own life the way he wanted it to be despite what life has given him. Media has portrayed the most desirable omegas to be small, cute, and playful, a direct contrast to the idea that alphas should be powerful, muscular, and aggressive.

Bruce did not conform to society’s views.

He was born taller than an average omega and has trained his body to become lithe and powerful through years of martial arts. Maintaining his body still requires discipline and exercise, but he finds it all to be worth it when he could easily take down a full grown man with a single punch. Still, the fact remains that he is an omega, one with beautiful delicate features as the gossip magazines are so fond of mentioning. To make himself look more intimidating and fiercer as the Batman, he adds more bulk and armor to the batsuit, making himself look bigger than he really is. There would be no doubt to anyone in Gotham City that the Batman is one hundred percent alpha male.

Over the years with Robin by his side, Batman had successfully stopped numerous criminals and put many behind bars. Now that Robin has left the city, he couldn’t help but feel that he was missing something. He had come to care for the boy as his own despite what others say about him bringing such a young boy into the hero business. He wanted to help Dick find justice for his parents’ murder in the way that he never could for his. He didn’t want Dick to turn out like him, constantly haunted by memories of his parents’ bloody corpses and his own helplessness in that godforsaken alley.

Dick Grayson would be able to lay his own demons to rest, something that Bruce Wayne had never been able to do.

Even though Dick bases his operations out of Jump City now, he still returns to Gotham City every now and then to help watch over the Gothamites when Batman couldn’t. Dick was sympathetic to his problems, offering his assistance whenever he can. Even as a beta, he was always more sensitive and attuned to those around him. 

He won't admit it verbally, but it's nice to have a reason for Dick to visit.

 

* * *

 

Bruce sighs as the cold water wash over him. His heats have gradually grown more taxing every time he thought absentmindedly as he scrubbed the shampoo into his hair.

Perhaps this was his body urging him to find a mate? _Ridiculous._

Ever since the founding of the Justice League, the dangers he faced have grown larger and the villains more devious. It was also around that time that he stopped bringing alphas home to spend his heat with. It was difficult to trust anyone these days with aliens and meta-human who could shape shift into anyone within the general populace.

He spends most of heat these days locked up in his room with various sex toys to tide him over. His last heat had left him raw and aching in places he didn’t know could ache.

Despite coming so many times, he was unable to satisfy himself no matter what he did. The heat was a constant blaze underneath his skin that he could not put out. When the three days were over, he was utterly drained from his hormones going into overdrive.

Silicone knots are a poor replacement for an alpha’s. Scientifically speaking, there are certain chemical compounds in an alpha’s ejaculate that is able to calm the burning heat of an omega in a way that no synthetic drug could mimic. It was believed that hormones from an alpha, most potent in the semen and to a lesser extent the saliva and sweat, could be absorbed by an omega through sexual and oral contact to alleviate the symptoms of heat. All specific hormones and hormone receptors are currently unknown, but a few mechanisms on how alpha hormone interaction could lead to inhibition of omega hormone have been theorized.

It would be years until a drug can be synthesized to lessen the symptoms of heat, and society’s current methods of overcoming that impasse have led to sexual favors exchanged between alphas and omegas. There have even been numerous movies made in popular media to play out the humor and romance of alpha and omega attraction.

He begins rubbing some soap onto his skin to wash off the artificial alpha smell he wore whenever he was Batman. The scent is usually the biggest tell in finding out what orientation someone is. Thankfully, the synthetic scent is enough to fool most of the people he comes into contact with as Batman, save for a few with enhanced smelling.

Letting the water wash all over him, his mind drifts back to his quandary.

The last alpha he spent his heat with was Oliver Queen…

He shakes his head. That was a long time ago, and Ollie has become a changed man. They both have.

The heat issue has been leaving him feel more unsettled lately, and it was affecting his work. He was becoming more distracted, irritated and moody due to the flux in hormones. It has been documented that omegas who spend their heats alone show more mental instability and anxiety and he refuses to let it get that far. He can’t let emotions cloud his judgment while in action. His sleeping schedule has also devolved into more of a mess than it originally was. The feeling of constant fatigue was slowly forcing him on edge.

The further he thinks about it, the more irritated he becomes. He shouldn't let his body’s chemistry affect his performance as Batman, especially when people's lives were on the line.

Perhaps it was time to find an alpha?

 

* * *

 

He had just finished tying up some gang members who were mugging anyone unfortunate enough to go into the dark alleyway by a rundown bar when a familiar scent caught his nose. It was a musky scent, distinctly alpha, with a tinge of something alien that separated it from any ordinary scent. He is familiar with this scent and in turn it has become easier to separate the man from the masses. Granted it's not that difficult to recognize a flying man in bright red and blue in the first place.

“I take it you’re finished here?” Superman asks, hovering next to him while noting the unfortunate thugs who were still dazed and groaning from Batman’s brand of justice. He gives a slight nod. “I’ll meet you back at the cave,” Superman says before quickly flying off in a blur, his scent lingering just a bit before following its owner.

As Batman drives back to the batcave in the recently upgraded batmobile, he wonders what Superman wanted.

He was uncharacteristically…reticent.

 

* * *

 

“Lois and I broke up,” Clark blurts out the piece of information as Batman enters the cave.

Taking off the cowl, Bruce offers his condolences, unsure of what else there is to say. He isn’t good in these types of situations, but Clark didn’t seem to mind his brief response. Clark appears more agitated than sad as he continues his story on the unlucky end of his relationship with the pretty beta.

“She said that she didn’t think it was working out between us, and that she couldn’t wait around for me day and night wondering if I was going to make it home. It was too much pressure for her,” Clark rants, gesticulating wildly.

“She knew that this was how things were going to be when she agreed to go out with me!” Clark runs a hand through his windswept hair. ”She said that she was fine with it.”

Clark pauses to gather his thoughts.

“She’s been on my mind the past two week, and I can’t seem to get her out. That’s why I decided to visit you tonight, Bruce. Figured, some fresh air outside of Metropolis would clear my head,” he says, leaning onto metal workbench that was covered in various pieces of gadgets.

“It’s probably best that you guys separated now before things got too serious,” Bruce says tiredly as he takes a hand to rub his face. “You’ve only been dating for, what? Five months? At least you guys aren’t married with a kid on the way when she realized this. And if you wanted fresh air, Gotham is hardly a place people go to for ‘fresh air’.”

“I guess you have a point" Clark says looking at his friend who appears to be battling his own demons. "But I just needed to get out of Metropolis.”

“Are you alright though?” Clark asks, ”you seem a little off.” His attention was entirely focused on Bruce now, and Bruce could feel the fatigue underneath his eyes becoming more prominent as he returns Clark’s gaze.

Truthfully, he was exhausted. Taking out the thugs had worn him out more than he expected and they even managed to land a few punches of their own. At his peak, he could have taken them all without breaking a sweat. However, he hasn't been in top form lately. The longest he’s been able to stay asleep was three hours before jerking awake, anxious and nervous. Thoughts and dreams of faceless horrors plague his mind every time he curled into his king sized bed, and he just can’t seem to relax no matter how tired he felt.

Clark scents him briefly before stating, “You just finished your heat, but I can still smell it on you. Also, your body temperature is higher than normal and you have an elevated heart rate.”

Leave it to the guy with super smelling, hearing, and thermal vision to catch onto his problems so quickly.

“Yes,” he confirms Clark's keen senses, “my hormones are still unbalanced, so things are a bit more troublesome right now.”

Bruce hates admitting weakness, but he’s been so off-balanced and worn out that he couldn’t help but confide to one of his closest, if not arguably best, friend. Besides, Clark’s alpha scent was currently soothing him in a way that nothing could for the past few days. It was a little intoxicating, like drinking a fine wine that was making him sink further into inebriation, and words keep tumbling out before he could reel in his control. “I suppose that finding a partner would help things” he yawns,” but there isn’t anyone that I trust.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Clark asks, looking at him openly. “I know that single omegas’ hormones tend to fluctuate more frequently than those in a relationship, especially when they don’t have a partner to spend their heats with. I heard that being with alphas help although I don't know how much.”

Bruce takes a deep breath; Clark’s scent really is alluring. “Unless you’re offering to have sex with me in my next heat, this isn’t a problem that you can fix,” he states, turning away from Clark to focus on the computer screen and begins typing out the night’s report.

“I could do that,” Clark says thoughtfully after a few seconds.

Bruce freezes.

He turns to look at Clark, “Are you joking?”

“Not at all,” Clark says as he stands up and begins walking towards Bruce. “You’re my friend and I want to help you, Bruce.”

“I am not a charity case,” Bruce growls and begins typing furiously on his keyboard, anger suddenly coursing through his veins. How dare Clark imply that he needs somebody to fuck him in order to be mentally stable. “I am not some lonely omega, begging to be touched by an alpha!”

“I didn't mean it like that!” Clark exclaims, flustered that Bruce would think of him like that. “I really do want to help you. It’s something I can do since, apparently, I’m no longer in a relationship. And I do care about you Bruce, you look a little worse each time after your heats. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. “

Bruce blinks at Clark, a little surprised. He wasn’t aware that he was being that obvious. Then again, Clark is very perceptive at times.

“It’s not uncommon for friends to want to help each other out you know,” Clark says softly after a while.

“Besides, this might help me take my mind off Lois.”

“So you’re using me to move on from Lois,” Bruce deadpans.

The clacking sounds of keys silenced in the cave as he clenched his fists. He was not in the mood to be having this conversation. _Not now, not like this._

“Yes! I mean no! I mean I need to find a way to stop thinking about her. We work in the same office for Pete's sake. I can’t concentrate when all I can smell is her scent everywhere. I just need to focus on someone else for a change.” Clark looks visibly upset. Bruce softens, Clark tends to lose his usual articulation whenever he's deeply upset. “And you brought this up in the first place,” Clark adds weakly.

True. He did make that comment as a joke, albeit a poor one, not thinking that Clark would respond or take him up on the offer.

But now that Clark seems to be taking the idea seriously…

It could solve some of his problems. Rationally, he knew that Clark was offering him a way out of the mess that he’s in. However, he still can’t help but be irritated about what he said about Lois. It was unreasonable, he knows. Clark was just speaking his mind, but something about him still gets to Bruce after all these years they’ve known each other. Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, he considers the situation.

Bad idea, he just took in another lungful of Clark’s scent. Damn alphas. He could feel himself starting to yearn for the alpha's touch. Okay, this arrangement could be useful to him. At least his body could get used to the alpha scent again and he wouldn’t be so sensitive to all the other alphas when he was Bruce Wayne. He had even started considering sleeping with a random alpha at the charity auction last week to take the edge off things. And maybe, he could get his hormones under control along with all its unpleasant side effects.

On the other hand, how would things change between him Clark? He trusts the man with his life, but what about his body?

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Clark gives him a questionable look with one eyebrow raised.

“You help me deal with this infuriating heat, and I help you take your mind off Lois,” Bruce says. ”We can end it whenever you find someone new to date or whenever the deal is no longer beneficial to both parties.”

Clark looks thoughtful for a few seconds, “Okay then.”

The silence that follows is palpable and could be cut with a proverbial knife to say the least.

Bruce ignores it and focuses on his computer.

“This was totally not what I was expecting when I came to see you tonight.” Clark smiles wryly, “I need to head back to Metropolis now for the day job. Call me whenever your next heat is” he says before flying off towards the cave’s entrance.

“Okay,” Bruce says as he wraps up the night’s report.

He sat still in his chair for a few seconds afterward, pondering.

Was this really the right thing to do? Clark was clearly upset about his breakup but he still offered to help Bruce out. Would this really change much between them? He's slept with casual friends before, but Clark was different. Clark knows who he is.

What if this was only a heat of the moment thing and Clark decides to back off?

It doesn’t matter. He was never any good at guessing people’s emotional reaction in relationships of all things. He looks at cold hard facts, and the fact of the matter is, Clark said yes. At least now that Clark agreed to tide him over the symptoms and aftereffects of his heats should improve, for a little while at least.

All these sleepless nights and feeling on edge was taxing on his nerves and bothering him more than he was willing to admit.

His head is fuzzy as he moves to the cave’s elevator and begins his ascent into Wayne Manor.

Perhaps he could get a few hours of shut eye before starting the day as Bruce Wayne. Maybe he could even sleep for longer than three hours. He clambers to his room with leaden feet, strips, and falls into oversize bed with its thick comforter and plush pillows.

He's unconscious the moment he pulls the covers over his shoulders.

For once, he dreams of blue, red, and gold swirling all around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me if I miss any tags! Also, all mistakes are my own since I'm writing and editing on my own.
> 
> Edited 05/13/15


	2. Chapter 2

Tonight, Bruce Wayne is hosting a soiree to present his latest idea on a housing development plan for Gotham City.

With the plan in effect, cheaper housing options will be available for people who do not have a lot of money on hand. The project will clear away abandoned, dilapidated neighborhoods, and in its place, new houses will be built up to the standards of Wayne Enterprises. Bruce knows that the plan will present many job opportunities in Gotham and hopes that it would stimulate the local economy enough to elevate the status of living for many of the middle to lower class.

With such a large project for Gotham City, heavy investment is required.

This is why Bruce Wayne is currently dressed in a suit and posturing to the old money of Gotham City. Most of the people here have grown up in wealth and luxury minus a few nouveau riche who came upon their wealth through wise investments. They would not invest in such a risky project without the right amount of nudging and pandering to. All they care about is profit and the fame the project would bring them.

“Yes, that’s right Mr. Emerson,” Bruce Wayne smiles and nods his head. “The project will surely attract a lot of attention from the media, and with the coverage, your company will surely be seen in a favorable light.” The wealthy middle-aged alpha looks pleased as he clinks his glass of champagne with Bruce’s and drinks heavily. Bruce takes a small sip and continues smiling.

“That sounds like a fine idea, Bruce. Have your secretary send your proposal over to my company tomorrow and we can discuss further details later,” the alpha says, placing a hand on Bruce’s back and begins rubbing it up and down.

“My, what a lovely and capable omega you have become! Your parents would be so proud of you” Emerson leers with a barely concealed lascivious smile. He leans closer to Bruce's ear to babble more empty praises. Mrs. Emerson was standing next to the both of them with a surly expression on her face as the alpha continues rubbing Bruce’s back. He feels sorry for the woman, having a husband with such wandering eyes and hands. She was beautiful in her own right. The formfitting cream-colored gown complements her quite nicely, but she still has at least a decade over Bruce, and right now he has the attention of her husband.

“Thank you, Mr. Emerson,” Bruce says, leaning away from the overly familiar alpha. “I’ll send the proposal over tomorrow.” He takes a step back, “I think I see a friend over there. If you will excuse me.” He walks off and tries to dispel the urge rip the man’s hands off and toss it out the balcony.

He will make sure to tell Alfred that meetings with Reginald Emerson will only be conducted in formal settings with paperwork between them from now on.

A sigh of relief escapes as he walks towards one of the emptier corners of the ballroom. He had seen a friend after all, albeit an old one.

“Oliver Queen!” he exclaims at the alpha who was standing awkwardly next to a large marble statue of two angels fighting. Bruce steps closer to give the alpha a hug, catching a whiff of his familiar scent. He could feel Oliver breathing in his scent as well and shudders a little as Oliver’s stubble grazed his sensitive neck.

“Bruce Wayne” Oliver greets him with a small smile. Oliver had become more fit over the years. His eyes carry a sharpness that wasn’t present when they were together all those years ago. It makes him look older, more dangerous, like a wolf in a gathering of lambs. His movements were precise and controlled, much like that weapon he’s been so fond of using lately in Starling City.

He had noticed that Oliver mostly kept to himself, nursing a drink in hand and observing all the other party guests in their extravagant clothing. He looks as much out of place as he must feel after spending five years alone on that deserted island. Or so Bruce gathers.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen you! Last I heard, you were shipwrecked on a deserted for five years.” Bruce could hear how clueless he sounds. Oliver still doesn’t know that Bruce is Batman despite Green Arrow’s recent induction into the Justice League. Even though they've worked a few cases together, Bruce is still a mastermind in letting people around him know only what he wants them to.

Oliver’s smile is tight as he nods at Bruce’s statement. “Some fishermen found me and here I am today” he says, holding his arms out and showing off the tailored suit that is no less than a couple grand.

“It’s good seeing you again, Ollie” Bruce says, slipping in the nickname used when they were both children.

They had come to know each other after their parents became friends at a charity auction. The Wayne family would visit the Queen family every now and then, and as a result, the boys played together growing up. Even after Martha and Thomas Wayne's death, Alfred still Bruce drove over to Starling City to maintain the friendship. Alfred did the best he could to prevent Bruce from having a lonely childhood, and Bruce will forever be grateful for that.

They had become good friends, close friends, and eventually went to the same college together.

But that was another time, another place. Now, they are both heroes who carry their own burdens in making their city a better place.

“Good to see you too, Bruce,” Oliver replies.

Before Oliver had left on that cruise, they were together briefly one spring. Apparently Bruce's body still remembers Ollie's touch.

Taking a step back, he smiles fondly at the alpha. “So what brings you to Gotham City?”

“My mother received your invitation to this party and decided to bring me along. Show the world that her son is still a functioning member of society I guess.” Oliver takes a sip of his drink, looking none too excited at the social gathering.

“I heard that you were looking for investors for your housing development project” Oliver says. “I’m sure that Queen Consolidated will be happy to invest a sum into your project.”

“Thanks, Ollie," he beams.

Bruce’s phone begins vibrating quite audibly. He takes it out and with a glance at the screen pockets it again. “I have something to attend to, but I’ll see you around,” Bruce promises as he takes his leave. 

He’ll let Lucius make a formal presentation to all the guests.

Someone has called the Batman tonight.

 

* * *

 

“Batman!” Jim Gordon’s voice rasps. The man's voice was tight, like he had been crying. What could have shaken up police commissioner of Gotham City so badly?

The commissioner’s voice was full of pain and anguish as he recounts his tale.

“Joker, he- he came to my house and shot Barbara! He took these photos of her and said that he had to prove a point!” The sound of harsh breathing could be heard on the phone. “He tried to drive me mad by shooting my daughter and defiling her body!”

Bruce’s heart dropped. Barbara had been shot. Young, clever, beautiful Barbara. He had grown fond of the girl on the occasions that she helped him with cases. She was as much into crime-solving as her father was.

He clenches his fist. “I’ll find him Commissioner Gordon” Batman promises. He is already hacking into several surveillance cameras near Jim Gordon’s house on his laptop in the car. He would not let Joker get away with this.

“You have to go after him!” Gordon exclaims “Barbara- she needs me right now, we’re at the hospital, but- I want him brought in. I want him brought in by the book!”

“I’ll do my best” Batman says, trying to keep his voice even. He’s found the location of the Joker.

“By the book, you hear? We have to show him! We have to show him that our way works! That there can be order to this world! We can't let him get what he wants!”

 

* * *

 

Small bombs with large comical smiles drawn on the surface landed where he was standing moments prior. The explosion left fumes of smoke filling up the entire room. A cackle echoes throughout the abandoned warehouse, making it difficult to pinpoint the location of the laughter. _Joker._

“Well, well, well. Look what the Joker dragged in!” Joker squeals, obviously delighted by his own joke. A giant red glove appears through the smoke and smacks Batman in the face. “Don’t worry! I promise a fair fight. And by fair I mean totally stacked in my favor.” Batman catches the fist from the side of vision, but was caught off guard by the uppercut.

“Something’s a little different tonight, Bats. You’re usually a little sharper than this.” His body begins feeling a bit numb as the world in front of him tilts in a dizzying manner. _Those weren't normal smoke bombs._ He falls to his knees.

“Nighty-night Battie-poo,” a voice coos in his ear before the world turns dark.

 

* * *

 

He wakes up with the clown standing in front of him. The rancor of his breath and scent fills his nose. Batman's hands are bound in thick coarse rope. He is left strung up off a large metal hook in the middle of the room like a slaughtered pig. His legs are also tied, and his belt has been taken away and thrown in the corner.

Judging by the ache in his arms, he couldn’t have passed out for more than twenty minutes.

“How interesting, Batman,” Joker bites out. I always thought that you were an alpha male with the way you go about gallivanting in the night, beating up anyone who looks at you funny. But Ma always says I got a sensitive nose, and this close, I smell something more on you.” Joker begins prancing around. “You smell a little sweet, my dear. Could it be that you are an omega all this time?" Joker puts on a surprised expression that fools nobody in the room. "Over compensating for something, eh?”

Batman clenches his teeth. He refuses to give the Joker the satisfaction of hearing him either confirm or deny the accusation.

“You see, I had this whole elaborate plan set out for tonight. I was going to draw you out and we were going to have this boxing match! I had the ring set up and everything. And I was going to broadcast the whole event to the entire city of Gotham so that they could see me knock some sense into you!”

“But I also wanted to prove a point you see,” the Joker starts again. “Then I found out your little secret. And well, I’m going to be postponing the match for a little while." Joker winks at him. "I’m going to see what makes you tick first! Oh this is so much more fun! ”

“If you think that my orientation changes anything, you’re wrong,” Batman growls.

“That’s it” Joker’s voice is a thick saccharine drip as he wraps his arms around Batman’s neck, pressing his cheek against his prisoner, “you complete me. Who wants a boring little omega at home to play with? And I must say, now that I know what scent to look for, you smell absolutely delectable.” A wet tongue swipes across his cheek.

“We were born to play this game! Cat and mouse, but who is who?" Joker shrugs. "You catch me or I catch you? The world could never be without a Batman and Joker.” He moves his arms wildly between the two of them.

“You’re sick Joker,” Batman struggles against his restraints trying to lessen the pressure on his shoulders. “We can help you. You can get better.”

“Flattery can’t get you out of here, Batman." Joker begins circling him. "Do you really think throwing me back in Arkham Asylum can help anyone? You _normal_ people assume that we ‘criminals’ act crazy because we are all unwell. But let me ask you this, what rational being dresses like you? I bet that you’ve had a bad day once,” Joker grins. Grabbing a folding chair, he sits himself down in front of Batman.

“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy." Joker puts his hand up as if whispering a secret to Batman. "I bet the commissioner is absolutely nuts over what I did to his daughter!" Bruce clenches his teeth. "That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” Joker is getting more involved in his point as he leans over the back of the chair.

“You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had one bad day and everything changed. I mean, why else would you dress up as a flying rat?" Joker is staring intently at his face for any slightest reaction. "You one bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else... Only you won't admit it! You had to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all this struggling!" Joker stretches his arms up as if to include the world. "

"God you make me want to puke.” Joker spats, disgust contorting his pale face and red lips.

“I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are?" Joker stares at him inquisitively. "Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that... “Joker stands up, kicking aside the chair. He begins to pace back and forth. “Something like that happened to me once, you know.” A thoughtful expression takes over his face, “I'm not exactly sure what it was. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. “

He stops in his tracks to give Batman a maddeningly toothy smile. “Well if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!” Joker throws his head back with a laugh. “But my point is... My point is, I went crazy when I saw what a black, awful joke the world was! I went crazy as a coot!”

He rests his hands on his hips. “I admitted it. Now why can't you? I mean, you're not unintelligent! You must see the reality of the situation. Do you know how many times we've come close to world war three over a flock of geese on a computer screen? Do you know what triggered the last world war? An argument over how many telegraph poles Germany owed its war debt creditors! Telegraph poles! Ha ha ha ha HA!” Joker’s laugh echoes hollowly in the abandoned warehouse.

“It's all a joke! Everything anybody's ever valued or struggled for, it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side?” Joker snarls and grips the back of Batman’s neck, “Why aren't you laughing?”

“Because you’re not funny!” Batman growls as he pulls himself up the length of metal dangling him from the ceiling, using the momentum from the back swing, he stomps his feet Joker’s face. He had slipped loose of the ropes while Joker was rattling on to himself about the state of the world. He frees his hands and begins working on his legs. Joker groans on the ground, cradling his face.

“Not everyone who has a bad day turns out like you!” Batman retorts, walking towards the clown on the floor. “You shot the commissioner’s daughter. And despite all your sick and twisted games, he’s as sane as he ever was. He wanted you brought in by the book! He wanted to do things the right way! So maybe ordinary people don’t always crack.” Batman grounds out as be grabs Joker by the purple lapels. “Maybe it was just _you_ this whole time. _You_ had a bad day and _you_ blame the world for everything that's wrong in your life.”

“No!” Joker screams. He pulls out a plastic flower and squirts Batman in the face with some liquid. Batman's grip loosens in the moment’s distraction and Joker scrambles away. Realizing that it was only water, he quickly lunges forward and grabs the fiend by the ankle, yanking him back. He grabs a purple shoulder and turns the Joker over; a black pistol is suddenly aimed straight at Batman’s chest.

The sight of the gun at such close proximity paralyzes him.

So this is how it ends.

He could almost laugh at the ironic twist of fate. He's dodged a bullet years ago, but at this range, there's no way that he could move away fast enough.

Joker pulls the trigger.

A flag shoots out of the barrel reading “Bang!” in bright, bold colors.

“God damn it. It’s a toy!” Joker looks down at the gun in disappointment.

“Like I said,” Joker turns to Batman with and unrepentant grin, “life is one big joke!” He continues to laugh with tears streaming down his face as he’s taken away by Gotham City police.

The sirens resound in the distance as a light drizzling rain begins washing over the city.

 

* * *

 

Some nights, like tonight, he suddenly feels the weight of the world on his shoulders.

What happened to Barbara Gordon was a senseless and pointless act of violence.

Although he caught Joker, it could never fix what happened to Barbara who was still in a hospital bed. Her spine was injured in the shooting, and it seems like she may never be able to walk again. The least Bruce could do was destroy all the pictures Joker had taken of her after he shot her.

He curls his arms around himself as he looks out the large bay windows in his bedroom. The drizzle from earlier had turned into a downpour.

He thought of Joker's words when he offered the Joker a chance at redemption. His heart feels heavy in his chest.

Some people are _broken_ and they don’t want to be helped. He doesn’t know what more he could do for people like that, either as Batman or Bruce Wayne. It seems like he was fighting a battle that will have no winner in the end. The losers are all the innocent people who get caught up in this mess that they've never asked for, and he just sees no end to it all. 

Every few minutes, lightning flashes across the night sky, illuminating the garden of Wayne Manor in a sinister light. If only the rain could wash away all of the dirt and grime in Gotham City. If only the rain could wash away the darkness in people's hearts.

Usually, he would feel more powerful when he put on the batsuit, as if he is becoming another person with a change in clothing. As if he was no longer the weak little boy he once was. But at that warehouse, the Joker had unwittingly worked out a chink in his armor.

The Joker would never know how close he came to unraveling Batman’s very nature in his twisted logic.

He could feel the hollowness inside of him ache a little more poignantly tonight.

Wayne Manor feels larger, emptier, and all that he is left with are ghosts lurking in the corridor.

 

* * *

 

There is a kid following Batman.

More specifically, there is a kid following Batman’s paperwork trail.

Tim Drake is a focused and determined young alpha.

He has a drive that makes him strive to be the best athlete, the best student, the best at everything. What's more, he has his parents' full support in everything he does and only works harder to make them proud.

His keen senses and innate detective skills remind Bruce a bit of himself at his age. Tim had noticed from the news and police reports that he obtained by hacking into government databases that Batman wasn’t himself lately. He had come to the conclusion that it must have something to do with Robin no longer appearing in Gotham City.

He took it upon himself to make things right with Batman, and to that he had to meet Batman.

The kid had come closer than most in uncovering Batman’s identity, but he still only discovers what Bruce wants him to know.

Bruce had laid a series of clues leading Tim to The Gotham Aviary, a subsidiary of Global Ventures which was itself a shell corporation of a dead man. The perfect cover for the hero of Gotham City. Tim is absolutely sure of himself when he walks into the abandoned aviary.

Against Bruce’s better judgment, Alfred convinces him to meet Tim. It was the least he could do after the boy spent so many hours investigating Batman. Bruce spots Tim in a red jacket immediately from his perch on top an overgrown tree.

“I’ll admit it. I’m impressed,” Batman says.

Tim jerks his head up and looks up at him. “Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to sniff you out.”

“Hubris is an unattractive quality, Tim." Batman admonishes. "You only figured out what I wanted you to figure out. I planted every clue that led you here. Now, what do you want?”

Tim looks baffled for a moment before determination took over. “I want to apply for the job. The new help. I’ll sign whatever papers you want to keep you out of trouble. I’m even willing to consider it an unpaid internship,” Tim says unabashed.

“That’s a very generous offer kid, but this isn’t a game. Go back to your parents and enjoy your childhood for as long as you can. “

“You don’t get to decide my life for me, Batman.” Tim snaps at the masked figure. Tim knows that he is destined to do something more than just study for exams and get good grades. He is destined to be something more.

“This conversation is over!” Batman growls. “You’ll never see me again. And if you know what's good for you, you'll listen to me.” With those final words, Batman disappears in the blink of an eye.

 

* * *

 

“I’ve sent the kid on his way, Alfred.”

“Is that so, sir,” Alfred says as he sets a cup of tea down next to Bruce in the batcave.

“He has what Dick and I don’t when we put on our masks. He has a family that loves him. I don’t want to be the one who has to tell them one day that their son is dead.” Bruce frowns. Although Tim is a sharp and quick-witted boy, Bruce could never take him away from his family.

“A perfectly reasonable sentiment, sir. However, I think you’ll find young Tim to be more tenacious than you expected.”

 

* * *

 

Bruce had indeed misjudged Tim’s ambition.

In Bruce’s defense, his skills were mainly in solving crimes and busting heads, but dissuading a young teenager from a life of crime fighting? He has very little experience.

Bruce knows that he couldn’t stop Tim from investigating the real identity of the Batman, but it didn’t stop him from trying. He would purposefully give Tim more leads to dead ends, and by the end of the week he thought Tim had moved on after the boy stopped hacking police reports.

Bruce was wrong. He could hear Alfred's smug voice in the back of his mind.

Alfred had kept track of Tim's movement after Bruce made the initial contact. Apparently, Tim had begun using his hacking skills to steal from the rich and give to the poor. A regular digital Robin Hood.

On the night he stole Cobblepot’s fortune, Bruce knew he had no choice but to take the kid under his own wing. Penguin had sent a dozen men with guns blazing to the Drake family home. Thankfully, no one was hurt, except Penguin’s men, but Tim had counted on Batman arriving to save the day.

The boy looked remorseful for endangering his parents' lives at the police station after the incident. He had strove to become a hero, to become worthy of the love his parents had for him, but he did not account for the repercussions his actions would cause.

From that day on, Jack and Janet Drake were relocated in the witness protection program and Tim began his training as Batman’s new partner-in-crime.

He seemed hardly surprised when he found out that Batman was in fact Bruce Wayne, but Bruce would come to appreciate his deadpan expression when things go beyond his expectations.

 

* * *

 

“Harder,” Bruce instructs as he blocks a hit from Tim’s bo staff.

Tim doubles the force on his next blow. He was sweating from exertion and panting as he follows the sequence of strikes that Bruce had shown him. The boy was a fast learner and the sounds of wood striking wood fill the large training room.

Bruce smiles.

It was almost like old times training with Dick again, although Tim had a wry sense of humor. He had been adamant about making a name for himself and separating himself from the first Robin.

He seems quite fond of referring to himself as Red Robin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! You guys make my day :) A lot of Joker's dialogue is borrowed from Batman: The Killing Joke and Tim Drake's story is based on Teen Titans #00. Also, when I was writing Oliver Queen, I was thinking of Arrow's version.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay more superbat! And porn...

Between all that was happening with Barbara, Joker, and Tim Drake, Bruce almost forgets his oncoming heat.

Almost.

It wasn’t until he saw Tim’s strange expression mid-training that he caught on. Bruce was showing Tim some Thai kickboxing moves when Tim’s face had gone uncharacteristically blank.

“Did you see that?” Bruce asks.

“See- see what? Oh your kicks, they were very nice,” Tim says distractedly.

Bruce looks at the young alpha carefully. Usually Tim was very attentive to each and every move Bruce shows him, but he seems a bit off-balanced today. Bruce wonders what could be affecting the young teenager. His mind goes through a series of possible subjects before cursing internally.

Bruce’s heat is coming up.

His body had probably begun producing pheromones to attract any alpha within the vicinity, and that includes Tim. Bruce couldn't smell his own scent, but if it was enough to catch Tim's attention, it was probably pretty obvious what he was going through.

“Let’s end it for today,” Bruce says without warning. He begins walking away from Tim as fast as he could without waiting for a response. He needs a shower and maybe some heavy cologne to stifle the scent.

Bruce checks the date on his phone as he makes long strides to his bedroom. His mouth twitches. He is one day away from his heat.

He sends Clark a text message to give the alpha a heads up and then pockets his phone. Text messages were easier and more impersonal. He didn’t have to personally hear Clark's response and wonder what every intonation meant.

As he enters his room, his eyes flicker to a white bottle on his desk. Bruce opens the bottle and swallows a pill with a swig of water.

He is ready.

 

* * *

 

The next morning comes and Bruce is already feeling overly warm when he wakes up. He tosses aside his covers with minimal effort, and almost manages to drift back into a cool slumber when the door clicks open.

He chooses to ignore it and regrets it immediately. Alfred walks into his room throws the curtains open, letting sunlight shine through. Bruce winces at the harsh light.

He curses the sun, and in an afterthought he curses Alfred.

“Rise and shine, Master Bruce.” All Alfred gets in response is an unintelligible grumble from Bruce who was trying to bury his face in his arm.

He wasn’t successful.

“Master Tim is already awake and eating breakfast downstairs. I think you should take a few pointers from him as much as he’s taking from you.” Alfred then leaves to begin his morning tasks and Bruce welcomes the peace and quiet.

He tosses and turn in the blazing light for a moment before reluctantly drags himself out of bed to begin his day.

 

* * *

 

“You know, with the way you’re _so disciplined_ about work and training, I thought you would be an early bird kind of guy. But then I realized you’re the Bat, so it makes sense that you’re a creature of the night,” Tim says as he’s eating cereal at the large dining table and fiddling with his phone.

Bruce glares at the kid. _How is he so damn chipper this early?_ Then again, it probably isn’t that early with the sun shining so bright.

“Today, we’re going to work on building your stamina. So I want you to run ten miles, do a thousand pushups, and go through all the martial arts sequences I’ve taught you twenty times.

Tim pauses mid-bite and gawks at Bruce.

“You’re joking right?”

“I am very serious” Bruce says, making a stern face. “All done by tonight, Tim.” He faintly hears Tim mumble something along the lines of _you make one single bat joke to the guy…_ before trailing off.

Bruce tries not to gloat as he eats the food Alfred set out in front of him.

He plans to have Tim completely knocked out and in bed by the time Clark gets here.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Bruce”, Nightwing greets him in the cave. Lately, Dick had taken up a new identity to shed off the title of Batman’s sidekick. He no longer wore the familiar red and green uniform and has taken to black and blue instead.

Bruce gives him a slight smile, “Nightwing.” Dick was now almost as tall as him and no longer needs to tilt his head to meet his gaze. “How are things with the Titans?”

“Good. We recently set up a new team on the east coast and have been working with the Doom Patrol to track down The Brain and the Brotherhood of Evil.” _The Doom Patrol, huh._ He had come across their information while working on the superhero database at the Watchtower. They were a unique group of individuals who were all considered abnormal and ostracized by the general public initially. However, over time they've proven themselves to be quite the capable team.

It’s good that Ro-Nightwing was getting more experience working with heroes who have more diverse abilities.

“Is this going to affect your mission with the Doom Patrol?” Bruce questions.

“Nah, the Brotherhood is mostly quiet for now, so I decided to swing by to see how things are for a few days.”

Dick had certainly become a competent young man all on his own, leading his own team and working with others. Bruce could feel his heart swell a little with pride.

“So Alfred told me that you’ve finally taken up a mate.” Nightwing smirks.

“Not a mate. A- friend,” Bruce finishes awkwardly. He did not want to discuss this topic of all things with Dick right now.

“Whatever. It takes two to tango, Bruce. Anyone I know?” Bruce gives Nightwing the blankest expression he could muster. “Is she on the League? Is he on the League? Oh god, it’s not Hal is it?”

“No, it’s not Hal,” Bruce snaps, barely containing the urge to roll his eyes. Of all people, Hal "Highball" Jordan.

“Thank goodness. Hard to have a relationship with someone who’s in deep space half the time fighting off intergalactic monsters,” Nightwing says with an amused lilt to his words. “I hope everything works out for you, Bruce. You could do with a little more company.”

“The current company I keep is just fine,” Bruce huffs. He barely finishes his sentence before a blue and red blur flies into the cave.

“Hey Superman, what are you doing here?” Nightwing asks, mildly surprised.

 _Shit_. He had meant to send to send Nightwing off long before Clark came. Bruce looks away from Nightwing as Superman lands next to him.

Looking at Superman and then Bruce, realization finally dawned upon Nightwing.

“ _Oh.”_

Bruce suddenly finds an interest on a particular spot on the floor and was currently burning a hole through it with his gaze. “Well, I gotta go now!” Nightwing yells as he half runs towards his motorcycle. “Streets to patrol, thugs to shake down. Same old, same old. You know the whole she-bang.”

And with that, Nightwing left the batcave in record time.

“Was that-“

“Yes.”

“So…no more Robin?”

“He goes by Nightwing now. There’s a new kid, but he’s calling himself Red Robin.”

Clark looks infinitely amused. “You totally did not mean for us to meet, huh.”

“Shut up,” Bruce mutters. He could feel the blood rushing up to his cheeks as warmth crept up his spine.

He turns and begins walking towards his bedroom. He doesn’t need to say another word to know that Clark trailing along right behind him.

 

* * *

 

With the door closed behind them, Bruce turns to Clark.

For the first time in years, he feels nervous about sex. This was his closest friend here.

He swallows, “I’m clean.”

“So am I” Clark blurts out. Bruce nods.

“And I’m on birth control, so you don’t have to use a condom,” he breaths, “if you don’t want to.”

“Okay” Clark says breathlessly, leaning a little closer. An intoxicating scent washes over Bruce, and he could feel his body relaxing and getting hotter by the minute. Clark is a very attractive alpha and his uniform does nothing to conceal the powerful muscles underneath.

“Can I kiss you?”

Bruce blinks. “Yeah.” He sounds uncertain to his own ears as he meets Clark’s lips with his own.

Their first kiss is surprisingly chaste and gentle, and Bruce can’t help but feel a little fluttering in his chest.

“You are such a boy scout,” he teases and kisses Clark harder, moving his lips sensuously against the alpha’s. He could feel the heat underneath his skin building up into a furnace now and he just wants Clark to help him put it out. Clark's scent was all he could focus on as he runs his hands up Clark’s tone back and Clark wraps his arm around Bruce, threading a hand in his hair to kiss him further.

“You smell amazing Bruce,” Clark gasps and Bruce can’t help but be pleased. He moves his neck to expose more of his scent. Clark smells pretty damn good himself Bruce thought as he place kisses on Clark's strong jawline. Bruce could feel himself starting to get wet, his cock is already half hard with desire. With a grunt he begins tugging on the blue costume of the Kryptonian as he buries his face in the nape of the alpha’s neck. Clark quickly catches on, and within seconds they were both naked kissing each with an animalistic ferocity.

The back of Bruce’s leg hits the bed and he lets himself fall onto the mattress, pulling the two-hundred and thirty-five pound superhero on top of him. Clark is trailing kisses down his neck when Bruce groans out, “I need you in me. _Now._ ”

Clark lifts his head and looks at the man pinned beneath him, Bruce’s face was flush, his hair tousled by Clark's hand, and his pupils were dilated. _God he's beautiful_ _._ Wiggling a little, Bruce begins to turn over and balances himself on his hands and knees. “ _Now, Clark,”_ Bruce demands, urgency bleeding into his voice.

Clark needed no further encouragement.

“So eager,” he chuckles as he drapes himself over Bruce. He places a surprisingly gentle kiss on Bruce’s shoulder before sliding his hands down to grope Bruce’s ass. Then, he moves one hand and touches Bruce right _there._

Clark’s fingers slid easily against the soft, wet folds of Bruce’s flesh and he pushes two fingers in experimentally. Bruce groans and begins pushing himself onto Clark’s fingers. He was _ready._ Positioning himself behind Bruce, Clark grips Bruce’s hips and slowly slides into the warm, wet hole.

Bruce stills for a moment. The fit was a bit tight and Clark was bigger than he anticipated. He feels Clark hold still, waiting for him to adjust to the size. Bruce waits a few seconds before moving slowly against Clark’s cock, but his hips were held firmly in place by super strength. “Move,” he grunts. The feeling of being full wasn't unpleasant, but he needs something _more_.

Clark starts slowly, not wanting to hurt the omega. It’s been a while since he’s been so aroused. He just wants to put his hands and mouth all over Bruce to claim the man as his own. It took an admirable amount of self-restraint to not begin pounding into Bruce immediately once he slid in. He growls and starts with a few slow thrusts before building up a steady rhythm. Bruce was so _wet._

"You're amazing, Bruce," Clark grunts. "So tight."

Bruce makes a noise of approval as he feels Clark slide in and out of him, and suddenly Clark’s member grazes a particularly pleasurable spot and he bites back a moan already halfway out his lips. Clark was quick to catch on, and he begins thrusting in the same direction, earning himself cries of pleasure from Bruce.

This was _goodgoodgood_ he thought as the large hands held his hips in place, occasionally sliding back to give his ass a squeeze _._ Sex with an alpha is amazing. Sex with Clark is amazing. Where did he learn to do that hip thing? Clark was less of a boy scout than he thought. Bruce could feel the pleasure growing between his legs. His cock was already painfully hard and Clark kept thrusting into his sweet spot. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any better, Clark wraps his hands around Bruce’s cock and gives him a few lazy strokes.

It was too much Bruce thought as his arms and legs gave out and his face lands on the mattress below. His hands held tightly onto the sheets as Clark continues pounding into him. He turns his head the best he can to look up at the alpha. “Clark,” he whimpers with pleasure.

Clark continues stroking Bruce as he smiles at the man beneath him. “You’re so beautiful, Bruce. So precious. And you’re all mine,” Clark’s voice held an unmistakable possessive tone. He leans down and begins biting and sucking on the delicate skin around Bruce’s neck. Bruce came in Clark’s hand within minutes. He whines as feels pleasure racing through his veins. He didn’t want to move, content with feeling Clark quickening his pace behind him. With both hands back on Bruce’s hips, Clark pulls him close before spilling his seed inside. Clark starts to pull out before Bruce places one hand on Clark’s. “I want to feel your knot inside me,” Bruce says with his head half turned, his eyes still glazed with pleasure.

Clark nods and repositions them until he was leaning his back to the headboard with Bruce seated firmly on his cock. Bruce rests his head on Clark’s muscular shoulder as he slowly regains his strength. Bruce sighs in contentment as he feels Clark get even bigger inside of him. _This was a great idea._ He closes his eyes. Clark was placing kisses on his neck again and he feels himself jerk as something hot and wet wraps itself around his nipple. He moans a little as Clark begins sucking and teasing the nub with his teeth.

“How long do you usually knot?” Bruce asks, panting a little from the stimulation.

“About thirty minutes,” Clark mumbles against his skin as he moves onto left nipple after leaving the right one hard and a little tender. Bruce does a shark intake of breath as Clark maps his chest with his mouth. He breathes in more of Clark’s heady scent before licking and nipping at the nape of Clark's neck.

Clark bites a little harder on his nibble and Bruce pauses the attention he was giving to Clark's neck as an 'ah' escapes his lips. He could already feel pleasure pooling between his legs again. Grabbing hold of the headboard for support, Bruce grinds down on Clark’s lap.

The alpha’s chest rumbles in a moan and Bruce begins moving his hips faster, riding Clark's knot.

Clark was sweating as he places his hands to support Bruce's back. “You’re ready to go again?”

Bruce laughs. “You’ve obviously never been with an omega in heat before if you have to ask that,” Bruce says through lidded eyes before thrusting himself on the engorged cock fervently.

 

* * *

 

Bruce wakes up and blinks the sleep from his eyes. He feels deeply sated after his first night of heat for once. His head was clear again, and the burning heat from the previous night has cooled to a smoldering sensation beneath his skin. He would have a few moments of peace before he gets the urge to jump Clark’s bones again.

An incessant pressure from his bladder finally pushes him out of the last dredges of sleep.

He is reluctant to leave his warm and soft bed. As he begins to sit up, an arm tightens around him, refusing to budge.

Clark is looking at Bruce drowsily on top of large rumpled pillows, hair sticking up haphazardly from sleep or lack thereof. “I need to go to the restroom, Clark” Bruce remarks. Grudgingly, the Clark moves his arm. Bruce's body aches pleasantly from the rigorous activities of last night as he walks towards the bathroom door. He could feel Clark’s eyes on his naked back, and he congratulates himself for not missing a step when he feels Clark’s cum slide down between his thighs.

 

* * *

 

In contrast to the frenzied bout of fucking from the night before where their baser instincts took the lead, the second day is more…lucid to say the least. Bruce isn’t sure what to say to Clark the morning after, but he took Clark’s lead when alpha greets him with “good morning.”

He can play it cool.

Bruce opens his bedroom door to find a cart with meals prepared for him and Clark. Alfred knows that Bruce is reluctant to leave his room during his heats and has everything set for him when he is ready. Thank god for Alfred. Pulling the cart inside, he and Clark have a quiet breakfast in their underwear, mostly because Bruce wasn’t much of a morning person.

He’s staring off into the distance, chewing on a piece of toast, when Clark touches his neck and jolts him out of his reverie. Clark thumbs the bruises he made on Bruce’s pale neck from the night before.

“Sorry, I’ll be careful not to leave a mark next time,” he says pulling his hand away.

“I don’t mind as long as I can cover it with a shirt,” Bruce says finishing his toast. “Alphas tend to like leaving their marks, so I’m used to it.” Clark gives him a skeptical look.

“See here?” Bruce asks pointing at the faint scars from what looks like claw marks on his shoulder, “Catwoman left these two months ago.” Clark frowns now, examining Bruce’s naked torso.

“I never noticed how many scars you have.”

Looking down, Bruce could see the scars he had accumulate over the years as Batman. There were burns from explosions he got caught in, knife wounds from when he was still new at the job and wasn’t prepared for the whole "playing dead" card, and his least favorite were bullet wounds from a crook that had a lucky shot.

Bruce shrugs, “Comes with the job. Besides, not all of us are the can be the Man of Steel.”

They finished their meal in a comfortable silence.

“Was last night normal?” Clark asks hesitantly.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve only been with betas before, Lana and Lois. But last night was...different. It’s hard to explain, but I felt so possessive of you. In my head, you were completely mine even though I know we’re not together,” Clark confesses.

“It’s not uncommon for alphas to become extremely attach to omegas due to natural hormone compatibly,” Bruce admits. “That’s why alphas and omegas tend to be more aware of each other than betas, and alpha-omega couples are more common than alpha-beta. You’ll get used to my scent over time and it'll feel less intense.”

Bruce hears Clark mutter something along the lines of “yeah right” as he pushes the cart of dirty dishes out the door. Before he forgets, he takes another pill from the bottle on his desk.

Turning around, he could already feel the next wave of heat creeping up his back.

“Ready for another round?” he asks the unsuspecting alpha on his bed. Clark looks like a deer caught in headlights.

 

* * *

 

The bed was moving. He was moving. Something hard and hot was pounding into him and all he could think of was _clarkclarkclark._ The alpha kneeling between his legs, chest pressed against his, face hovering above his. The position is far more intimate than he likes and Clark’s blue eyes seem darker with desire as he steals a kiss from Bruce’s lips.

Bruce tangles one hand in Clark’s damp curls and deepens their kiss while the other hand claws at Clark’s toned back. A warm hand wrapped itself around Bruce’s cock and he tries to stifle the moans into the alpha’s shoulder as he was quickly jerked off. Clark’s thumb brushes over his sensitive head, and Bruce's shudders with pleasure. Every nerve felt like it was on fire as both his sex organs were stimulated. Broken cries and half pleas barely leave his mouth before the alpha begin thrusting into him twice as enthusiastically.

He sinks his teeth into the meat of Clark’s shoulder as he comes; his semen smears across their stomachs. Bruce's legs were shaking from the climax. He could feel his own seed cooling onto his skin as Clark releases his cock to get a better grip on the back of his thigh. Clark pushes deeper and he could feel himself bending in two.

Bruce could tell that Clark was close judging from his ragged breath and he clenches himself around Clark’s cock, earning a groan from the alpha who was gazing down at him, his face was the picture pure of ecstasy. Clark gave one final thrust before coming inside of Bruce and then stills for a moment. Bruce wraps his legs around Clark and wordlessly, Clark turns so that Bruce is lying on top, his head resting on Clark’s chest.

They lay there for a while, listening to the sound of each other breathing, heart beating, confirmation that they were both alive.

 

* * *

 

_In a strange turn of events, Batman has gained the powers of Superman._

_He flies around the world, saving people, one moment in Tokyo, the next in Shanghai. He no longer needs a secret identity; he can now save the world all on his own. No more human weakness, no more need for food and sleep._

_He flies down to Crime Alley and he is greeted by a young, well-dressed couple. They are smiling at him and welcoming him with open arms._

_”Mom? Dad!” he asks, not believing the sight before his eyes. Thomas and Martha Wayne were standing in front of him! They look exactly the same as they were all those years ago.  
_

_“Oh Bruce, look how you’ve grown!” his mother exclaims, smiling vibrantly. Her eyes were shining with love and affection.  
_

_“Your mother and I are so proud of you. You’ve done so much good for the world,” his father joins in._

_“Y-you’re alive!” he stutters, hope and joy fills his entire being.  
_

_“Of course we are, son!” his father confirms. “You’ve done it! You’ve saved the world and brought us back!”_

_“Yes! That’s right” he laughs in relief, running to the couple and hugging them both tightly in his arms. “You’re safe now! You’re...” he trails off as his parents start to glow white, becoming more translucent with each second._

_“No. No, stay with me!” he screams as they fade before his eyes._

_“Don’t leave me!” he cries, tears streaming down his face._

 

* * *

 

“Bruce. Bruce, wake up!”

He jerks awake, gasping for breath. His heart aches with loss. To his shame, tears fall from his eyes as he sits up. He quickly wipes them away but more keep falling.

“Are you all right, Bruce?” Clark’s concerned voice pierces through the darkness.

Bruce nods, knowing that Clark has better night vision than any human. His throat is tight, and he doesn’t trust himself to speak at this moment.

That dream had been so vivid! His parents were right there in front of him and he let them slip through his arms. They were so close to being a family again! He should have known. He should have known that some things were too good to be true.

He could feel his body shaking as he tries to gather himself, his heart pounding in his throat as he tries to get his breath under control.

Suddenly, strong arms wrap around him and he is pulled into a warm chest. Clark's heart thuds loudly in Bruce's ear.

“You’re not alone, Bruce. It's okay. I'm here.”

He is mortified to think that Clark may have heard what he shouted out in his dreams. He tries to pull away but Clark refuses to let him go.

Bruce sits there on Clark’s lap and buries his face in the alpha’s shoulder, he doesn't want to see Clark's reaction. He doesn't want to see the disappointment in the Kryptonian's face that this was what Batman was. A man who still has nightmares from a wound that never healed properly. With one arm secured around Bruce's waist, Clark's other hand slowly strokes Bruce's back comfortingly.

He lets the alpha's deep voice pull him out of the dredges of the nightmare.

His voice is raw when he speaks.

"I dreamed about my parents, Clark," he murmurs into the alpha's neck. "I dreamed that they were alive...but then they disappeared right in front of me. I failed them...I couldn't hold on to them." He speaks to try to organize his thoughts, but they were a mess, his words a jumble that makes no sense. He wishes he could disappear in Clark's arms.

Clark grabs him by the shoulders and gently eases Bruce back so that they were looking at each other face to face.

The moonlight seeps through from the window  and illuminates the entire room.

Clark glows with an ethereal beauty as he looks at Bruce, concern marring his face.

"You did not fail your parents, Bruce. You did not fail anyone." Clark places a warm hand on Bruce's face.

He leans into the touch as Clark brushes his thumb over his cheek. "Your parents would be _so proud_ of you if they knew all of the good that you do."

Fresh tears roll down Bruce's cheeks as he tries to shake his head. "Would they?"

"Every life you save matters, Bruce," Clark confirms, confident in his answer.

He places a kiss on Bruce's forehead. "Every."

Kisses the tears away on the left eye. "Single."

Kisses the tears away on the right eye. "Life."

Clark places a final kiss on Bruce's lips and he could taste the saltiness behind it.

Bruce delves deeper into the kiss, moving to get closer to Clark. He wants to feel something other than this terrible emptiness. He needs a distraction.

Clark's touch is sweet and tender in the moonlight.

It feels unbearably like making love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I was not aware that I was capable of writing so much porn. So...the reason the first three chapters are updated so back-to-back is because I had most of it written beforehand. Next chap will probably take more time.
> 
> Also, the way I see ABO is that alpha females and omega males are essentially hermaphrodites. Only omegas go into heats, only alphas knot, and betas are basically "normal" people. So you know, when Bruce and Selina were together....*coughs*brucelovesthatknot*cough*


	4. Chapter 4

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

Bruce is not hiding. He’s _not._

He just feels like locking himself in the bathroom for a couple of hours. That’s all.

The clock on the bathroom wall is unreasonably loud, and he considers taking it down and smashing to pieces even though it’s been hanging in the same place for years. Stupid clock.

He sighs as he looks at himself in the mirror. His hair is almost dry from the morning shower and more color has returned to his face. At least compared to his grey shirt his face had more color. There were still shadows underneath his eyes, but they look less like bruises now. He grimaces at his reflection and wonders how Clark saw him last night.

Waking up to someone screaming and crying in bed is not a very appealing experience he imagines.

But Clark had stayed. He had held Bruce in his arms and _cared_ for him. Why would he do that? He didn’t have to. He could have just feigned sleep and let Bruce deal with his own problems.

God knows he has too many to count.

It’s probably pretty hard to ignore the person sleeping next to you when you have super hearing.

Clark is just too nice. Too caring.

Bruce looks at the ornate wooden clock hanging on the wall. He has been locked inside the bathroom for almost two hours. He had done every form of hygiene care imaginable in that time. He knows he has to come out eventually, face the world and all that jazz. But he doesn’t want to. The alpha hasn’t pressed him to leave the bathroom either, not that he would let anybody push him around.

The first thing he did when he opened his eyes this morning was slip out of bed and into the bathroom.

This heat had not gone on like he wanted nor expected it to be. He had expected the sex, the little conversations when they woke up, the constant awareness that there was someone with him, heck he wasn’t even surprised to find out that Clark was a cuddler. What he did not expect, was to be so cared for by Clark.

It was just sex right? Why was he doing all of this?

Bruce looks at himself in the mirror and huffs. He was being ridiculous. He couldn’t avoid Clark forever, especially when the man was on the other side of the door. He could easily blame his hormones for making him so weak last night. Wasn’t that what people do? Blame other things when they themselves don’t know why something happened? He was just getting used to being this close to someone again. That was all.

It was _normal._

Steeling his resolve, he opens the door.

Well. He was not expecting this.

 

* * *

 

Clark was sitting at Bruce’s desk, dressed in a white tee shirt and blue boxers. He appears to be typing out some sort of article for The Daily Planet, but Bruce couldn’t be sure. Next to Clark’s feet was a dumpy looking black duffel bag that looked suspiciously like Dick’s.

“Oh hey, you’re out of the bathroom,” Clark says without turning his head. “Food is on that cart over there. I already ate first since I didn’t know when you were coming out.”

Bruce pokes at the cold food. He doesn’t feel much like eating. His stomach was too unsettled. “I didn’t realize that you brought your stuff when you came over.”

“I didn’t. I asked Nightwing to break into my apartment to get some stuff for me for me to work on and a change of clothing,” Clark says before saving his work and turning to look at Bruce. _Goddamn Clark and his need to look people in the face when he talks to them._

“Since when did Nightwing become your personal attendant?” Bruce inquires, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s not. I asked him as a favor since I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

Unease hits Bruce like lightning. “If you have work to do, Clark, I’m not going to make you stay here. You don’t have any obligations towards me just because we slept together.” He nearly forgot that not everyone’s work schedule was a flexible as his. Bruce bites his lip. “Besides, I’m fine with being alone.”

Clark shakes his head. “I know that I could have flown back to Metropolis in fifteen minutes and be back before you even knew it, but…it felt wrong to leave you somehow. I felt like I needed to be near you. Not because I think you can’t handle yourself, but I just wanted to stay. Besides, the article that I’m working on for The Daily Planet isn’t due yet. I just figured that we would likely have more down time near the end of your heat.” Clark gives Bruce a wry smile. “I doubt that you would be as insatiable as the past two days.”

Bruce clears his throat and nods. The heat waves have lessened considerable. They both could use some time to relax and focus on other things. The smell of sex still lingers faintly in the air, but Bruce can work past that.

Picking up the tablet on his night stand, he settles onto an arm chair by the window and begins going through emails for Wayne Enterprises. He has forty-seven unread emails, and most of it pertains to the new development project. Lucius Fox had sent him a list of potential investors in the project and Queen Consolidated is near the top of the list. Ollie had guessed correctly that Moira Queen would be willing to lend a hand. With this amount of investors, the development project should be able to commence after all the forms from the city and state have been processed.

He doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the screen, but there was a slight ache in his neck when he looked up again.

Clark sits with a serene expression on his face. His laptop was closed and put off to the side.

“What are you listening to?”

“Metropolis,” Clark says with a grin. “Everything sounds perfectly normal. But if anything does happen, I'm sure Supergirl can take care of it.”

Sometimes, Bruce envies Clark’s powers. The man was basically as close to a living god as earth would get, yet he was still so human in some ways. “If I had your powers…” I wouldn’t even bother playing human. Bruce turns his face away from Clark. He _wasn’t_ Superman. He had no right in judging how Clark chooses to live his life.

“You know,” Clark begins, “when I first became Superman, I had the same train of thought that you did. I would spend days, weeks, flying around the world helping out at an avalanche here, an earthquake there. It was easy when all you need is sunlight to survive. I felt like it was my sole job to protect the world. But the world is too big for one man to save alone, Bruce. Somehow, along the way, I forgot what it meant to be human. I saw the world as a helpless infant unable to defend itself against the perils of the world.” Clark’s smile is bittersweet. “But then, everywhere I went, the people there were already helping each other. They were overcoming problems all on their own, even without me. Being human is… really something, Bruce. You have no powers, and yet you are able to take on anything that comes your way and be better for it.” He turns to give Bruce a fond look. “I guess I wanted to be like that too. To be able to be more than just Superman. What would I be without my powers? I would be just like everyone else. So I chose to be a reporter. Because even without Superman, I can still bring truth and justice to the world that is my home.”

Bruce runs his tongue over the inside of his teeth. Clark was just _too good._ Putting aside the tablet, he marches towards the Kryptonian and begins corralling him towards the bed.

“Sit here,” Bruce commands, placing his hands on Clark’s shoulders to motion the alpha to the edge of the bed. After he was satisfied, he sinks down to his knees.

“Wha-what are you doing Bruce?”

“I want to suck you cock,” he says as he’s tugging down Clark’s boxers. Clark’s cock was soft in his hands, but that would change soon enough.

“I- I thought we were having a moment?” Clark asks, bewildered as Bruce licks the tip of his cock and massages his balls. Clark was already getting bigger in his hands.

“And now we are having another moment,” Bruce says. He licks the underside of Clark’s cock all the way to the tip and sucks at the head. Slowly, he wraps his mouth around Clark’s cock and tests the weight of it in his mouth. It was good and thick. Clark’s arousal is heavy in the air. He slowly bobs his head while keeping his eyes completely focused on Clark.

“Bruce,” Clark gasps, placing one hand in Bruce’s soft, dark hair. His hips jerk a little towards the omega’s wonderful mouth, but Clark remains as still as he can, not wanting to disrupt the sensation. Bruce lowers his mouth onto the cock, unraveling the alpha inch by inch.

Bruce groans as he imagines how obscene he must looks in Clark’s eyes. His lips, shiny with spit, stretched around the alpha’s cock, his eyes a little watery from the girth. Clark’s breath quickens as he feels Bruce’s throat vibrate. The alpha looked like he was coming apart at the seams and Bruce preens at the thought that it was his mouth that made Clark this way. The most powerful man on earth, trembling at his touch. Bruce quickens his pace and begins stroking the part of Clark’s shaft that his mouth wasn’t able to cover.

“Bruce, I’m gonna-”

Bruce motions for Clark to continue. The hot alpha seed fills his mouth and Bruce begins swallowing as much as he can, but there was so much and he chokes a little. He moves Clark’s cock out of his mouth as he begins to cough.

“Damn- Bruce, are you okay?” Bruce holds a hand up to tell Clark that he’s fine. He could feel the excess cum dribble down his chin and smear over his cheek as he wipes it away with the back of his hand. Thinking for the better part, he takes off his shirt and begins wiping all the spit and semen off himself and Clark.

He was mildly surprised and impressed to see that Clark was still half hard. _Damn that Kryptonian refractory rate._

Clark looks slightly abashed. “I’ll knot in a while. But let me take care of you first,” He says motioning towards the tent in Bruce’s boxer-briefs.

“Okay,” Bruce says with a smirk. _This should be interesting._

Their positions were reversed now, and Clark is kneeling between Bruce’s legs. He pulls down Bruce’s last article of clothing, and with a tug on his shirt from Bruce, he strips himself as well.

Clark mimics Bruce’s motions previously, and while it wasn’t the best blowjob Bruce ever received, it was still pretty damn good. Clark places Bruce’s legs over his broad shoulders as he begins to press his nose closer to Bruce’s crotch. Bruce moans as Clark’s hot and wet mouth completely engulf him.

Clark’s eyes were a stormy blue as stares at Bruce. He lets the omega’s cock slide out of his mouth with a pornographic ‘pop’ and begins planting kisses from Bruce’s knee to the inside of his thighs.

“You sure do like kissing,” Bruce pants and winces a little as Clark bit him sharply on the sensitive part of his inner thigh. The spike of pain laced his arousal, making it sweeter, and he moans a little.

Maybe he could get Clark to work out some kinks with him later. His cock begins leaking pre-cum and it slides down the side of his shaft.

Maybe he could get Clark to spank him.

He leans back on his elbows as he feels Clark’s hands pushing up on the back of his thighs. Clark gives Bruce a suggestive smile before he disappears from Bruce’s field of vision. His heart quicken as feels a little nudge at his entrance. Clark’s tongue slowly traces the outside of Bruce’s hole before plunging into the source of the tantalizing scent.

“Ughn Clark!” Bruce screams as he arches his back. The alpha was licking the inside of his walls and he could hear squelching noises as Clark ate him out enthusiastically. Clark was very talented at this. Bruce’s lower half was completely tingling with pleasure as he came, spilling his seeds all over his stomach.

“No- Clark wait,” he sobs to the alpha. Everything was oversensitized. He didn’t think he could bear it if Clark continues licking him.

Clark moves from between Bruce’s legs to lie next to him. Bruce could see the shine of his slick on Clark’s chin. The alpha was panting heavily as well, apparently excited from the omega’s response.

Clark licks his lips, relishing the taste of Bruce.

Bruce rolls on top of the Kryptonian and straddles him in a dominating kiss that Clark was happy to return with equal ferocity. He moans as he tastes himself on Clark’s tongue.

This arrangement could work out very well.

 

* * *

 

The buzzing from Bruce’s phone wakes him up. Somehow his phone had ended up next to his head on the bed. He fumbles with the device for a while and with bleary eyes make out Clark’s name.

**_Good morning._ **

**_I had to leave early since Supergirl needed some help taking down Atomic Skull._ **

Bruce groans and buries his face back into the pillows. The light on the screen was too bright. He waits until his vision stopped swimming before reading further.

**_I enjoy spending time with you, Bruce._ **

**_I’ll see you around._ **

Bruce tosses his phone to the far corner of the bed and turns over on his back. Clark _enjoyed_ spending time with him.

He scoffs, staring at the bumps and grooves on his ceiling.

His heat was officially over.

 

* * *

 

His body was in a dazed from the three day sex marathon as he showers and brushes his teeth. He wasn’t quite awake until he saw both Dick and Tim sitting on the sofa, each with a bowl of cereal in hand.

“Hey! Bats is here!” Tim yells loudly. Dick gives him a genial wave.

Bruce squints at the boys. When did they become so close? As he passes by them, Tim begins making a gagging noise.

“You alright?” Dick asks, amused by Tim’s exaggerated reaction.

“Yeah,” Tim says, his voice muffled by the shirt he pulled over his nose. “Bruce totally reeks of sex though. Didn’t you shower?”

Bruce stops in his tracks. He _did_ shower. He tilts his head to try to smell himself discreetly. He was _very_ thorough with his shower too.

“Your nose is just overly sensitive,” Dick says, dismissing the young alpha.

“What you can’t smell it?” Tim asks.

“Beta,” Dick says, tapping his nose. “Less sensitive to all this scent stuff that alphas and omegas have to deal with.”

“Lucky,” Tim pouts and resumes spooning cereal into his mouth.

“I presume that you and Dick are now familiar with each other?” Bruce asks.

“Yep,” Tim says raising his fist and bumping it with Dick’s. “We got to know each other after you ‘mysteriously’ disappeared.” Tim wiggles his eyebrows at Bruce. “Dick’s been teaching me a couple of new moves that he says even you don’t know.”

“Tim’s a quick learner,” Dick adds, finishing the last of his cereal. “It’s almost time Tim, are you ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Tim says putting his bowl and spoon into the sink. Turning to Bruce, “we’re going to go watch the new movie they made about you and Superman. Apparently it’s a hit at the box-office.”

Bruce groans internally as he waves them off. That was an awful movie. It completely mischaracterized Batman. He knows because he and Superman had secretly surveillance the set during production in Gotham City.

The actor who played him made it seem like he was obsessed with baseball bats and that his sister had been beaten into a coma by one, thus the origin of his namesake. Also, he _so_ does not pour out his heart and soul in monologues about truth and justice.

Just thinking about the film made him bristle in annoyance. Clark had not help the situation at all when it was obvious that he could barely keep himself from laughing at the scene below.

He took an apple from the fridge and began biting into the crispy red fruit. Alfred seems to be out on some errands.

He should tell Alfred to buy some more cereal later.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few months, things had begun shaping into a new paradigm.

Dick started coming over more often to Gotham City to work missions with Bruce and Tim, and in their free time they would train and hang out together. Barbara was now out of the hospital although she remains confined to a wheelchair.

Despite what happened to her, Barbara was still adamant about fighting crime, perhaps even more so now. She discarded her old title as Batgirl and took on the epithet Oracle, to signify her ability to be all-knowing. Using her expert knowledge in computer systems and eidetic memory, she has been able to hack countless informational organizations such as the CIA, FBI, NSA and use the information to direct law enforcement as well as superheroes where they are needed. She was also the key factor in the discovery of Superboy, a clone created from Superman’s DNA. Together, Nightwing and Red Robin were able to rescue Superboy from Lex Luthor's secret facility, and invited him to be a part of the Teen Titans.

The cave was feeling livelier than ever before with Barbara, Dick, and Tim. Bruce can’t help but feel like they are now a family of sorts. Unorthodox, but dear nonetheless.

Bruce had hoped that Clark would not treat him any differently after they slept together, but that was too much to ask for. He could tell that Clark was becoming more aware of him. Bruce wasn’t sure when he had noticed; a look that lasted a few seconds too long, a touch that lingered too much, either way something was slowly changing.

Thankfully, after the first heat, Clark had not caught him in anymore nightmares. He would come to Bruce during his heats, and Bruce would help take Clark’s mind off Lois, that was the deal. The way Bruce aided Clark in distracting him, well, resulted in more intimacy than he anticipated since he wasn't an expert at comforting people with words.

It wasn't meant to turn out that way, initially.

Perhaps Bruce was partially to blame.

 

* * *

 

Metallo had been terrorizing Metropolis in an act of vengeance against Superman, blaming the Kryptonian for his loss of humanity and transformation into a cyborg. Buildings had been destroyed and debris were falling everywhere. Just as a large corner of what used to be an investment firm was about to fall on Lois Lane, Superman swoops in to save the day, carrying the reporter out of harm’s way.

After they had defeated Metallo, Superman was swamped by thankful citizens of Metropolis. Clark gave his usual heroic smile and jargon about how it was his duty to save the people, but Bruce knew that he could still see Lois from the corner of his eye. His shoulders were tense, a tell that Bruce had learned to recognize when Clark was feeling uncomfortable.

As soon as they were out of the public’s eye, Batman had invited Superman back to the batcave.

“Were you alright with saving Lois again?” Bruce asks, stripping off his armor.

“What do you mean? I see her all the time at work. We still talk after everything.”

“I mean, did saving here bring back old memories, feelings?”

“No, not really,” Clark says, thrumming his fingers on the side of his leg. He was hiding something.

Bruce walks closer to Clark, “I can think of a good distraction for you Superman,” and pulls Clark into a deep kiss.

Clark was all too willing to embrace Bruce right there in the cave.

 

* * *

 

“You seem rather chipper lately, sir,” Alfred says as he helps Bruce straighten out his suit jacket.

“We’ve been planning this meeting for months, Alfred. With Queen Consolidated’s support, we can finally begin rebuilding Gotham from the ground up.” Bruce looks in the mirror, not a hair out of place he thought as pale, blue eyes stare back at him.

“I don’t think it’s due solely to Wayne Enterprises. I think it’s due to a certain someone who’s been visiting more frequently.”

“It’s always good to see Dick again,” Bruce says, completely missing the point.

“I think that you and Master Kent have become closer than ever before. I must say, he does seem to make you happier.”

“Clark is just a friend Alfred. You know that we have…arrangements made that have nothing to do with romantic feelings of any sort.”

“You were the one who mentioned anything about romance, sir.”

Bruce huffs. “I’m leaving now.”

“Careful not to get lost in denial, sir!” Alfred calls out.

Bruce rolls his eyes.

 

* * *

 

He was mildly surprised to see Oliver Queen greet him when he arrived at the meeting between Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises.

Ever since Oliver returned from the island, he had stayed mostly out of the public eye and withdrew altogether from his father’s company, leaving his mother to run things. Oliver appears mildly bored before catching sight of Bruce.

The Wayne representatives and Queen representatives exchanged salutations, and after they settled down, official business began. Within three hours span, they were able to lay ground work on which properties needed to be cleared, what transportation networks they were going to be using, the environmental impacts and restrictions of certain areas, and what divisions needed to be created to oversee everything. By the end of the meeting, both parties were as satisfied as can be in laying the ground work for the next six months. Close cooperation would still be required between the two heads of operations, but that was to be expected.

After the meeting, Oliver asked Bruce out for a drink and he complied.

It would be interesting to see what the Starling City heir was up to. They ended up in one of the high end clubs in Gotham’s business districts.

Sitting at a relatively quiet location, away from the more boisterous guests with a drink in hand, Oliver tells Bruce how he came to be Queen Consolidated’s liaison.

“My mother wanted me to inherit my father’s company. She said that it was my birthright, but I disagreed. She thinks that giving me projects to work on will make me want to be more involved in Queen Consolidated one day.” Oliver shakes his head. “I was insistent on refusing at first, but then one of the projects she handed me was yours, and well, I didn’t want to let down an old friend.” Oliver raises his gin and tonic to Bruce. "The work you're doing is great, Bruce, it'll help a lot of people out."

“I…didn’t want to take over my father’s company. Not because I don’t want to take up responsibilities or anything like that, but I just want to shape my own path.” Oliver looks wistfully past Bruce’s shoulder. “On that island, I realized that I have been living on the path my parents wanted for me my whole life. When that path was no longer available in front of me, I didn’t know what to do. I was lost. I had to pave my own path to survive.”

Bruce nods. He could understand where Oliver was coming from.

_To shape one’s own destiny._

“You sure have changed from the Ollie back then,” Bruce grins. “Good for you, Mr. Queen,” he clinks their glasses together, “to forging your own destiny!”

Ollie chuckles. “You’ve changed quite a bit from when we were kids back then too. You were such a sullen child; I thought you didn’t like me very much even though Alfred kept bringing you over. I think I realized that you cared for me the moment you cried after seeing me fall out of that big oak tree in my backyard.”

“I did not cry,” Bruce sputters. “You must have hit your head too hard and imagined things.”

“No- no-” Oliver says between laughter. “You were totally bawling your eyes out because you thought I had died falling ten feet. Man, I got into so much trouble with my mom for making you cry.”

“You deserved it,” Bruce sniffs. He had been honestly scared back then. Seeing Oliver’s still body beneath the tree, he had been afraid of seeing any more deaths. He remembers sobbing as he shook the limp ten year old, begging him not to die. When Ollie had opened his bright green eyes to tease Bruce for being a crybaby, he felt an immense relief although he was annoyed with the young alpha for faking it.

In some ways, that was the day they had broken the ice.

They spent another hour recalling embarrassing childhood stories when both their phones begin to vibrate.

Bruce looks at his, it was Justice League business.

“I need to go run some errands," Ollie says, patting his childhood friend's shoulder. "See you around, Bruce.”

Within seconds, he was out the door.

Bruce waves him goodbye, _see you around Green Arrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! Reading what you guys think of the story makes me very happy ^^


	5. Chapter 5

Thick green vines wrap around the metal frame of what was supposed to be Wayne Enterprise’s new venture. The steel beams groan and creak as it bend out of shape. Within seconds, the skeleton of the entire building collapses in a screeching roar. An enormous red rosebud rises from the rubble, blooming to reveal a beautiful woman with fiery red hair and dark green eyes. Her sharp features only seem to be enhanced her pale green skin, creating an unnatural beauty. She glares at the man who dare comes to meddle with her business.

“Stay out of my way Batman. I need to rid Gotham of some garbage,” Poison Ivy commands as more thorny vines with broke through the foundation.

“This isn’t garbage, Ivy. A lot of people need this project to help improve their lives,” Batman retorts, facing the woman standing on top of the massive writhing plant. His body is tense and ready when she waves her arm. He narrowly dodges several tendrils aimed straight at his head and throws three small bombs at the dense foliage beneath Poison Ivy’s feet.

The female omega screams as all the organic matter beneath her ignite in a blinding flash of light. Now is his chance. Batman runs towards the eco-terrorist who lies stunned in the ashes of her beloved fauna. Just as he came within range of her, the earth underneath him begins to shake.

“Like I said,” she grunts, rolling onto her side and raising her hand at Batman, “all this is garbage!”

Deadly vines suddenly break through the ground and coil around his arms, legs and neck. Batman cuts off a several shoots with the blades on his forearm, but they grew back almost immediately. He was immobilized.

_Of all the days that Red Robin goes on a mission with the Teen Titans._

“You _humans_ think you’re so much better than the grass that you step on," Poison Ivy spats contemptuously. She is lifted from the dirt by verdant branches covered in small white flowers. "That you can just come to any place where there is already life and destroy it for your own greed and satisfaction. Well, I’m here to show you the wrath of Mother Nature! You will be no better than fertilizer for my children, Batman.” The vines around his neck tighten.

Just as the armor around his neck begins to crumple under pressure, Superman appears and sears the greenery holding his limbs hostage with his heat vision.

“Not exactly how I _envisioned_ our next meeting occurring,” Superman declares humorously as he hovers above the ground, red cape rippling behind him.

Batman grunts as he severs more green shoots from Poison Ivy with a well-aimed batarang. _Damn Clark and his sense of humor._

“Well, look who came to play,” Poison Ivy sniffs. “Luckily, I have just the thing prepared in case something like this ever happens.” Thick brown branches twist and curl around Superman, lifting him several feet off the ground. Before he could break out of the bind, an orchid blooms in front of his face and a cloud of spores envelope him. The Kryptonian is motionless as the branches slowly set him down.

“Superman!” Batman yells. Superman looks straight ahead with glassy eyes and an impassive face, showing no recognition at his friend’s voice. Batman turns to Poison Ivy who looks immensely pleased with herself. “What did you do to him?” he growls. Poison Ivy’s usual tricks should have no effect on Clark’s Kryptonian physiology.

“I laced my spores with some Kryptonite dust, enough for him to be susceptible to my control,” the villainess smiles wickedly. “Kill him, Superman.”

Batman turns to in time see the alpha fly directly towards him. He shoots his grapple gun towards the steel beam of a nearby infrastructure and pulls himself away from Superman. Batman makes it halfway across the air before feeling a crushing grip on his ankle pulling him back to earth. The grapple gun is lost as he is thrown to the ground with enough force to crack the earth and knock the breath out of him. Even with the batsuit absorbing the worst of the impact, the pain stuns him momentarily.

Superman lands heavily on his chest and begins punching at his mask. Batman could feel his reinforced cowl cracking ominously underneath the Kryptonian’s fists. The inside of his cheeks cut against his teeth and he could taste blood on his tongue.

He grabs desperately at a lead box from his belt, and pulls out a glowing ring made up of Kryptonite, a gift from Superman. He was entrusted with the ring should the day come that Batman needed to stop Superman. Slipping the ring on, he punches the alien on top of him in the face. Batman could hear something in his hand crack as the blow landed. Superman lies groaning on the ground as Batman sprays a dose of herbicide in the alpha's face. It was intended for Poison Ivy, but Superman needs it more.

“What happened?” Superman groans as Batman puts the ring back in the lead box.

“You were under the spell of Poison Ivy’s mind controlling plant spores,” Batman says, narrowing his eyes at the female sitting on a throne of colorful flowers. “But I just doused you with atrazine, a basic component of plant killers. It wiped out the spores.”

Poison Ivy’ lips twists in displeasure at the show's hasty end. She had rather enjoyed watching Superman toss Batman like an insignificant toy. Either way, she was going to kill them both. Large Venus flytraps surround the two men, spilling acid from its jagged maw. The ground sizzled where each drop of digestive juice fell. Wrapping an arm around Batman despite protestations, Superman flies them out of the circle of death and towards Poison Ivy.

“No!” she screams as Batman throws a freeze blast at her. Within seconds, she was frozen in solid ice. The vegetation begins to wither away moments later without their mistress’s pheromones to control them.

 

* * *

 

At the cave, Superman stands off to the side, watching Batman gingerly remove his armor. Bruce tosses the ruined gear to the scrap pile and hisses as the movement sends waves of pain up his back and sides, no doubt bruised from his fight with Superman and Poison Ivy.

Clark glances his shirtless state. “You have no broken bones, but there are contusions all over your body. Cool fingers graze the side of Bruce’s heated face. “Here as well,” Clark’s baritone voice rumbles. The gesture is uncomfortably intimate and Bruce backs away from the touch. Clark shifts his attention down the length of Bruce's arm.

“Hold out your hand.”

“There’s no need,” Bruce says, keeping his hand close to his side.

“Don’t be like that. Hold out your hand,” Clark reiterates.

Bruce begrudgingly lifts his arm and spreads his fingers, letting the Kryptonian x-ray them.

The alpha gently takes Bruce’s hand in his own. “You fractured your middle finger and there is some ligament damage,” Clark says apologetically. “Try not to hit anything with that hand for a few days.”

“It’s not your fault, Clark. Poison Ivy was controlling you,” Bruce asserts, he could tell where Clark was going with this. Clark scoffs at Bruce’s defense of him. It was due to his error that Bruce got hurt unnecessarily. More than half of the injuries on the omega's body were caused by his negligence.

He lifts the omega’s injured hand and presses his lips to Bruce’s knuckles.

“Did you just kiss my wound better?” Bruce says, giving Clark a perplexed look. The omega's bottom lip was split and slightly swollen.

“Yeah,” Clark affirms. He smiles a little as Bruce’s heart skips a beat. Funny how things like this could affect him even though his heartbeat is completely regular when fighting criminals. “Are you going to call me a silly farm boy for doing that?”

Bruce shakes his head, slightly bewildered. “Only my mom used to do that…” Clark continues holding Bruce's hand, realizing that he unwittingly broached a sensitive topic.

Unguarded blue eyes greet the alpha.

“You’re not silly at all Clark Kent.”

 

* * *

 

The next few days, Batman observes the Teen Titans in his spare time. They were a motley group of young superheroes. Under Nightwing’s lead, most of their missions appear to run smoothly. Their teamwork is still a little rough around the edges, but for the most part, all the members are able to work with each other without too much of a hitch.

He skims over the member profiles on his computer and stops at Superboy, currently known as Conner Kent to his teammates. Apparently his choice in human name was influenced by a Miss Martian, niece of Martian Manhunter. His visage appears quite similar to Clark's, granted that he is a clone created from the alpha’s genes. Bruce wonders if this is what a young Clark Kent in Smallville looks like growing up.

Despite the similarity in appearances, their overall behavior is a different story. Superboy known to act brashly sometimes and would occasionally go beyond protocols despite the team leader’s command. He acts as if he had something to prove, and that could be risky for his teammates one day.

Bruce had noted that in the months since Superboy gained his freedom, Superman never once talked to the boy. Their initial meeting was brief, and after that Clark barely spared the boy a second glance.

He leans back in his chair.

It’s time for a long overdue conversation.

 

* * *

 

They met at a small, unremarkable diner in Metropolis. The name of the restaurant was painted on in faded letters outside the window, and the atmosphere of the place had a homely feel. It was a place where people wouldn’t imagine Bruce Wayne being at in a million years. The bells tied to the top of the door jingles as he walks through. Clark was already seated at a booth when Bruce arrives. The alpha’s eyes lit up behind black-rimmed glasses when he caught sight of the omega.

 A cheerful middle-aged waitress stops at their table and takes their order. Hopefully, the conversation wouldn't take too long.

“I doubt you came all the way to Metropolis for some dessert,” Clark says companionably. He wonders what Bruce wants to talk about. Perhaps he simply had time to spare on a business trip in Metropolis, but Clark doubts it. The omega's body language is stiff as he states his reason.

“We need to talk about the boy,” Bruce says in a serious tone.

Clark’s easy-going mood drops immediately. “No we don’t.” Unrest courses through his veins at the mention of Superboy. He is still unsure how to feel about the boy created in his image, who wears his family symbol when fighting villains.

“He needs you Clark. He needs...his father.” Bruce's face is sincere as he placates the alpha, sensing the agitation rising to the surface.

Clark shakes his head, irked at Bruce’s choice in words. “He doesn’t need me. He needs...you. He needs someone who won’t remind him of what he was supposed to become,” Clark reasons.

“Sorry Clark, but you’re dead wrong," Bruce says, looking at him straight in the eye, a trait he used to find admirable in the omega, but now shows off his unwillingness to budge on the topic. "I know that he...troubles you, but he's here and you have to get over the how and the why.” Bruce’s eyes soften. “He looks up to you. You should see how he asks other members of the League what you thought about him.”

“I'm not his father, and this is none of your business,” Clark bites out. He will not carry on this conversation on any further.

Bruce could smell the irritation and frustration rolling off Clark in waves. It jars his own senses disconcertingly. The alpha leaves the table abruptly, paying for their food as he left.

Bruce frowns as he sits alone at the booth. _That could have gone better._ He contemplates how to approach this topic to Clark again. That man can be extremely stubborn when he wants to be. The waitress who took their order previously stops by with his devil’s food cake.

“Here’s your cake, sweetheart,” she says in a jovial voice. Confusion crosses her face seeing that there is no longer someone sitting in front of him.

“Thank you,” he says, looking at the pastry in front of him. He is no longer in the mood to eat.

“You look a bit glum, dear. What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with your boyfriend from earlier?”

“He’s not my boyfriend," Bruce corrects the woman. "He’s just a friend.”

“Oh, my mistake,” she says good-naturedly. “I just thought you were together since he kept looking at his watch while he was waiting for you. He was fidgeting like he was waiting for a date.”

“Oh,” Bruce says awkwardly. Not sure how to respond to that observation. Why Clark would be anything but at ease while waiting for Bruce? It wasn't as if this was the first time they met up in public.

“I’ll let you finish your cake in peace,” the waitress says, leaving to take care of another table.

Bruce eats only half of his cake before he leaves. The sweetness left a strange, sour aftertaste in his mouth.

 

* * *

 

Superman was avoiding him.

 _The_ Superman was avoiding him.

The strongest man in the world, who could move mountains with his hands, was avoiding him.

He wipes the sweat off his brows as he continues jogging on the treadmill.

Bruce had been trying to talk to Clark for the past two weeks. Each time the Kryptonian made a point to either fly off or cut off his communication line at the slightest mention of Superboy. When the core members of the League had a meeting at the Watchtower, Superman made a point to turn his chair away from Batman the whole time.

 _That infuriating, silly, man-child_.

Bruce grunts as he increases the incline of the exercise machine.

"Geez, what's gotten you all worked up?" Tim asks.

"As if Bruce is going to be open about his feelings all of a sudden," Barbara responds as she does some bicep curls in her wheelchair. She was determined to keep the upper half of her body in peak condition. Who knows, she might need to punch someone really hard one day.

"I'm going to have to agree with Babs," Dick voices as he bench presses 250lbs, looking up at his spotter, Tim.

"He might change you know," Tim counters, looking at Bruce who was doing his best to ignore the teenagers' banter.

 "A likely tale" Alfred quips as he brings a tray of refreshments to the training room. Barbara, Dick, and Tim all stopped what they were doing to gather around the drinks. "Might I suggest you take a break, sir?" Alfred says, eying Bruce meaningfully. The young master has been restless lately, and it suspiciously coincided with Superman’s lack of appearance in Gotham lately. "Even Batman needs to take a break every now and then." The teens all grinned behind their drinks as Alfred subtlety chastised him.

Bruce turns down the power on the treadmill. Perhaps he should go out and clear his head.

 

* * *

 

Bruce downs his seventh, eighth glass of martini. He's lost count somewhere after the fifth glass. He's sure that Alfred didn't mean for him to go to a club when he said "take a break". He can just imagine the beta's exasperated expression when he sees Bruce again.

He isn't sure why he is so bothered with the fact that Clark has been avoiding him, but with each drink, he begins to care a little less as his mind and body slowly becomes blissfully numb.

This is the second club he’s been to in the entertainment district downtown. The loud music and flashing lights make all clubs appear similar in his opinion. But this club seems to attract the most people, and he just wants to be another nameless face tonight. He closes his eyes and sways to the beat of the song on the bar stool. The deafening music along with the alcohol drowns out any noises in his mind. Bruce opens his eyes at the sudden change in beat and smiles disarmingly at the alpha next to him.

He had called up the Queen heir to join him in Gotham, deciding that he might as well have company if he was going to get drunk tonight. Oliver's brows furrow as he sees Bruce order another drink. The alpha is disappointingly sober in Bruce’s opinion; his body is too rigid as he examines the people in the club who were dancing and grinding under the strobe lights.

The bartender hands him his drink, and Bruce nearly topples out of his stool as he reaches for the drink. Perhaps he's drunken more than he thought.

“Woah, Bruce,” Ollie says, catching him by the waist and holding the glass out of reach, “you want to slow down there, buddy?”

“I’m fine, Ollie!” he yells over the pulsing music. "I'm still good for the night!" Bruce gives Ollie a lopsided smile and a thumbs-up sign. "I'm going to go dancing!" He stumbles out of the alpha's embrace, forgoing the drink. The alpha scent was reminding Bruce too much of something he wants to forget.

Oliver Queen watches the omega breezes into the throng people in front of him. Even drunk off his ass, Bruce Wayne stands out in the sea of moving bodies. He wears a formfitting blue shirt that brought out the color in his eyes and tight black jeans that hug his hips and bottom snugly. Ollie looks away and notices that he isn't the only one who appreciates the view. Bruce is an attractive omega after all.

When Bruce had called him earlier in the evening, Oliver thought Bruce simply wanted to hang out, possibly to make up for time they spent apart. But this wasn't that. Gone was the pragmatic businessman and charming friend. In his place, a provocative and enticing creature appears. He hand tightens around Bruce's drink as he watches the omega dance sensuously between two betas.

The taller of the two stands behind Bruce, placing a hand on his hips as Bruce leans forward to grab the shorter beta in a hungry kiss. Oliver's eyes widen, as he watches the omega make out with a complete stranger. Bruce breaks the kiss and closes his eyes as his body moves to the rhythm of the song. The taller beta places a hand on Bruce's pale neck as he whispers something into his ear. Bruce arches against the man as he listens to him, but then shakes his head in a coy smile. He moves to walk away from the two men, but then trips over his own feet and falls into the arms of the arms of the shorter beta.

Oliver jumps in, leaving the glass at the bar. “Excuse me gentlemen, I think my friend has had too much to drink.” He wraps his arm around Bruce’s waist to support the drunken man, effectively creating space between Bruce and the two betas.

“Ollie!” Bruce exclaims with childish wonder. He threw his arms around the alpha and leans in intimately. “There you are!” Bruce’s pupils were blown as he leans into Oliver’s face. The alcohol on his breath floods the alpha’s senses. “Where did you go? I was looking for you.” The omega pouts at him, pink lips curling in a juvenile manner.

“Oh, so he’s with you” the shorter beta says, giving Oliver a once-over. The alpha easily outclasses the man in height and muscle. Oliver couldn't help but feel as if he is being a stereotypical alpha with his arm around Bruce, glaring at the man challenging him for the omega.

"Enjoy that fine piece of ass, man” the taller beta smirks, tracing his eyes over Bruce’s body. He leaves, pulling his friend away towards a group of girls dancing in extremely short dresses.

“Ollie, I think I’m a little drunk” Bruce says in a quiet voice, his lips brushes gently against the side of the alpha’s face as he tries to talk into his ear.

“Just a little?” Oliver says, trying to keep his tone light. Bruce’s skin is damp with sweat from all the dancing, but his scent is tantalizing all the same. Bruce looks at him with unfocused eyes and mussed hair. He isn't unfamiliar with this sight of the omega.

“Just a little,” Bruce says faintly, laying his head on the alpha’s shoulder and leaning into his sturdy frame. “My feet hurt, Ollie. I want to go home.”

“Okay, Bruce. I’ll take you home,” Oliver promises. He guides the inebriated omega out the club's doors and calls a taxi to take them away.

 

* * *

 

Bruce has his head in Oliver's lap as the taxi takes them back to Wayne Manor. The omega was unable to stay awake for the drive and seems to have fallen in an intoxicated slumber.

Oliver strokes Bruce's hair, smiling at his sleeping face. His expression was completely peaceful and years seem to melt off his face. He wonders what tonight was all about. The streetlamps shine through the car window and Bruce's lashes cast shadows on his cheeks. Oliver looks away from the omega’s face.

Bruce’s shirt has ridden up over his hips, and Oliver reaches for the hem of the shirt to cover up the bare flesh. His hand falters as dark shapes near the edge of the cloth catch his attention. Slowly, he pulls Bruce's shirt up, revealing more bare skin.

The omega's side is covered in sizable bruises that extend further onto his back. His skin is mottled in an ugly yellowish-green color, a sign that the wound is not new. Oliver covers Bruce's skin, hiding the injuries once again. He places a hand on the sleeping omega's shoulder and gently shakes him.

"Bruce, how did you get those bruises?" He tries to keep his voice even, not wanting to give away his inner turmoil.

Bruce's eyes remain closed as he stirs and mumbles, "Not..Clark's…fault." He snuggles against Oliver’s lap and his breathing eventually evened out again.

Oliver could feel his blood pressure rising as he thinks of all the possible scenarios that would result in Bruce getting such injuries. Each new situation is worse than the last. _Who the hell is Clark and what does he have to do with this?_   He thinks back to Bruce's unusually brazen behavior at the club. He behaved like someone who wanted to bury his problems in the loud, distracting night scene.

Oliver looks out the window and tries to calm his nerves. One hand curled in a fist, pressed against his mouth.

_Clark better not have hurt you._

 

* * *

 

A low voice rouses the omega from his sleep. He groans and vaguely recalls Oliver guiding him to his front steps. Alfred opens the door, tsking something along the lines of 'I told him not to get lost.' _Whatever_. He pushes away Alfred's hands reaching for him and staggers up the stairs to his room. He can take care of himself.

As he closes his bedroom door, he notices a dark figure standing out in front of the large bay windows, lit by moonlight. The white curtains flow in the night breeze. He rubs his bleary eyes.

Clark was standing in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face. He could barely make out his features in the dark, but he recognizes that stance anywhere.

"Where were you?" the alpha asks, looking at the disheveled omega. He could smell the stench of other people, sweat, and alcohol on Bruce's skin. He recognizes the scent of the other alpha.

"Fuck you, Clark," Bruce slurs, unsteady on his feet. "I- I tried to talk to you, but you weren’t there." The omega marches up to the alpha and jabs a finger at Clark's chest in accusation. "You weren’t at your fucking apartment. You weren’t at your fucking job. You were at your fucking Fortress of Solitude with your fucking dog, cutting off all my transmission feeds-" The omega’s legs gave way and Clark catches him before he falls. "So I went out for drinks with Ollie...you hard-headed...thick-skulled..." Bruce trails off as he passes out in the alpha’s arms.

Clark tightens his hold on Bruce and buries his nose in the sleeping man's hair. Only Bruce's flimsy wooden door separates them from the rest of the world. His aroma taunts the alpha underneath all the other disturbing smells. Clark tries to rein in his anger at everyone who got close enough to Bruce to leave their lingering scents. He had intended to apologize to Bruce for his overreaction in the matter concerning Superboy, but the man wasn't there when he visited his room. After hours of waiting in the empty bedroom, Bruce finally bumbles in smelling like a bar with too many people, dressed so differently from his normal attire. Still looking so insufferably beautiful.

Clark could feel anger dissipating as the omega's familiar scent fills his nose, lung, mind, body. He presses Bruce’s slumped form firmly against his body.

"Ah- Bruce," Clark says, his voice thick with emotion. "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Borrowed some angst from Young Justice, and the plot thickens...
> 
> Not sure if I should add all my tags now or as the story progresses since tags will lead to spoilers...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kind comments and kudos! Enjoy.

Bruce wakes up to a world of pain.

He lets out an undignified noise and rolls over to his side, seeking some small measure of comfort in his blankets. It does little to help the pounding in his head and the nausea churning in his gut. _What the hell happened last night?_ Visions of flashing lights and moving bodies fill his mind. Oliver Queen was there and those men whose name he didn’t even bother remembering and then there was Alfred. Everything had devolved into a blurry haze after he saw Alfred's worried face at the door. He wasn't even sure how he made it to his bed. _So many bad decisions._ Even when he was acting as Bruce Wayne in the spotlight, he at least had a modicum of restraint in his actions no matter how wild he may appear to the public. It was all to keep up his reputation. But last night...

Last night was a lapse in judgment.

He had let his emotions get the better of him and in the heat of the moment he just wanted to forget who he was. He wanted to forget about Clark and their stupid argument and how much he _missed_ the alpha. He shouldn’t have called Ollie- Oliver Queen to Gotham. He should have just left their relationship be as work acquaintances. Even in the League, Batman and Green Arrow barely interacted outside of missions and the occasional meeting in the Watchtower. There was no need to draw him back into his personal life again. The last time he did that...it had turned into a debacle. _A complete and utter shitstorm._

The years after Oliver went missing had given him time to think and contemplate. Bruce's parents had been the ones who taught him that the world is an unpredictable and fearful place. The false security of peace is not to be trusted. Oliver had only reinforced that message. People cannot be trusted, even those whom he had known for years. Or at least thought he knew.

Oliver had been affectionate of Bruce growing up. May be it was the alpha mentality that made him feel like he needed to look after the pitiful omega orphan who had no one left in the world other than a butler to take care of him. Despite all the times the alpha looked after Bruce growing up, there was always an air of naiveté around Oliver that made him unable to see the world the way Bruce did. Oliver Queen had grown up a privileged child in a wealthy home with a family that loves him. He couldn’t see how cruel the world could be. Perhaps he thought he could be Bruce's knight in shining armor, and perhaps Bruce became enamored with that naive sentiment. Oliver had kept his innocence intact far longer than Bruce had. The alpha had not been tainted by the grief and violence of society back then.

But then Oliver had done something unforgivable.

Just when he thought he could come to trust the alpha and open up to him, he had been bitterly disappointed in what he discovered. Their relationship was...shaky at best when Oliver Queen disappeared on that cruising accident with his father. Time had softened the edges of betrayal and Bruce had moved on. Or at least he thought he did.

The alpha had changed dramatically ever since his return. It was easy to pretend that the Oliver Queen before and after the island were two different people. Green Arrow had become a reliable vigilante hero in Starling City. Those innocent, wide green eyes seem older now. They carry a wariness only those who have seen death first hand could understand. They were eyes that know what loss is like.

Bruce’s own curious nature had drawn him back to Oliver Queen like a moth to a flame. He was so different and yet somehow still the same. The moth only has one outcome in the end, and he isn't too eager to be burned twice. The familiarity and intimate touches last night had been a reminder of a past he does not want to bring up. It had been so easy to close his eyes and fall back into that rhythm with the alpha, but he can't make that mistake again. There is still a knife wound in his back that never quite healed properly after all these years. Their closeness reminded him of the dull ache he thought was long gone but in fact never stopped hurting.

With Ollie, he knows what happens in the end.

They could never be.

 

* * *

 

Dick is playing some colorful video game on the big screen by the time Bruce finally shuffles downstairs.

He settles on the couch next to the beta and stares blankly at the television as Dick’s elfish character ran to smash some pots with a sword. He isn’t sure what the game was about, but the graphics looked visually appealing enough to invite attention and the sound effects of fighting fill the silence.

“Hey, Bruce,” Dick says, not looking away from the vivid images in front of him. His fingers manipulate the controller skillfully, and they shared each other’s company companionably without saying a word.

It was about half an hour before Dick broke the silence.

“If you ever need to talk to anyone, you know that the family is there for you, right?” Dick asks meaningfully. “I mean, Tim is hanging out with the Titans because he has a thing for Cassie and Babs is having lunch with her dad right now, but we’re here for you, Bruce. We wanted you to know that. You don’t have to keep everything to yourself. You can talk to us if there's something troubling you. It has got to better for your health than drinking and harming your liver.”

Bruce bites the inside of his cheek, feeling a little guilty. He’s the older one. He's supposed to be the one watching out for them, but instead he made them worry about him.

“You’re right, Dick,” Bruce says finally. He doesn’t have a quip prepared to brush off the concern he had unintentionally caused.

“Woah, you’re admitting that? Maybe Tim had a point.” Dick grins as he begins a fight with some demonic-looking horned creature in the game.

“Don’t push it.”

“I’m kidding. We all care about you, Bruce, don’t forget that,” Dick says as his character performed some combo moves that defeated the monster. Bruce feels a spike of happiness at those words. They really are a family.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred greets him as he walks over to Bruce's side of the couch. “After Mr. Queen assisted you home last night, he asked some very interesting questions concerning your private life.” He was wondering where Alfred had gone.

“How interesting?” Bruce asks quizzically. He must have seemed a little odd last night, calling up the alpha and then ignoring his presence in exchange for other strangers.

“He was wondering if you had been injured lately.” Bruce raises an eyebrow. _Why would Ollie ask something like that?_

“What did you say?”

“I told him that you have been very into horseback riding lately and that may be the reason for any injuries catching his eye.”

Dick snorts in laughter next to Bruce, his face completely amused. The game didn’t seem very funny as the elf character ran across some grassy fields.

“I told him that your horse is very spirited, so things have been a bit rough while you were training it,” Alfred says.

“ _Super_ spirited,” Dick adds and Bruce’s jaw dropped. He is appalled at his adopted son's insinuation. He quickly regains composure as Alfred continues unfazed.

“He also asked about a certain ‘Clark’ that you mentioned and what your relationship with him is.”

“Why would he ask about Clark?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea, sir. I told him that I was unaware of anyone by the name. You were the one with him last night. Perhaps you mentioned Mr. Kent unwittingly.”

“I guess getting you wasted _is_ one way to get you to talk about what’s on your mind,” Dick chimes in.

 

* * *

 

It’s a Sunday afternoon.

The weather is sunny and pleasant with a cool breeze blowing through the city. It would have a been a perfect day at Central Park if there weren’t explosions and terrified New Yorkers running amok.

Batman swings down from the batplane, leaving Nightwing at the wheels. He glides in the air briefly, using the tensile material in his cape to aid his flight as he picks up a girl in a little pink dress who had tripped in the melee, saving her from being trampled by fleeing adults. A grateful mother runs up to him to take the child from his hands.

Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman are battling a silver android, approximately ten feet tall with wings and a weapon identical to Hawkgirl’s Nth metal mace. From the intelligence he gathered, the android, Amazo, was created by Professor Ivo in his dying days to take care of him. Lex Luthor had somehow manipulated the powerful android into working for him after Ivo died. The android had been stealing parts for a suit designed specifically to take down the Justice League. They had finally tracked Amazo to a facility near Central Park when the confrontation occurred.

In her aerial battle with Amazo, Shayera is knocked into a metal fence by the android and electrocuted into unconsciousness. Judging from his flight patterns and fighting style, he appears to have picked up Hawkgirl's skills somehow.

Wonder Woman throws her golden lasso around the android’s neck and begins flying backwards to pull him away from her grounded teammate. Amazo pulls back on her lasso and yanks Wonder Woman out of the air. Diana lands roughly next to Hawkgirl and is momentarily stunned by a blow to the head with the replica mace. _Great, now he has Hawkgirl’s abilities and Wonder Woman’s strength._

Red beams from Superman’s eyes blasts into Amazo’s large metallic back, drawing his attention away from Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl who are promptly carried away by Green Lantern and Flash respectively. Around them, the public had been safely evacuated thanks to the Teen Titans who were at the park enjoying an afternoon off before it was disrupted. Superman knocks Amzo out of the ballpark, literally, and corners him by some overturned picnic tables. Each punch landed by Superman emits an audible ‘thud’ in the ground. However, the android quickly adapted to his foe and blasted Superman away with heat vision. _If Amazo is able to copy each person’s ability, then it might also pick up their weaknesses._

“I’ll take it over from here,” Batman says, leaping into action and stopping the Kryptonian from coming any closer to him and the android. He didn’t want to hurt Clark with what he was about to do. The android has a confused expression on his face as he examines Batman.

“You don’t have any powers.”

"But I have this.” Batman pulls out the piece of kryptonite from his belt and immediately the android flinches away from the green glow. Amazo holds his hands up to shield himself from the kryptonite, but Batman continues to advance towards the cowering android.

“It’s a packaged deal. You get our strengths, but you also get our weaknesses.”

 

* * *

 

After Amazo had been subdued, J’onn was able to telepathically communicate to the android that Lex Luthor had been using him to achieve his own malicious plans. The android appears furious as he helped the Justice League take down the villain. Lex never stood a chance against Amazo who had absorbed all the talents of the core members of the Justice League.

During the fight, the Teen Titans were able to prevent any civilian casualties from occurring. As Batman tuck the piece of kryptonite back into its designated compartment in his belt, Hawkgirl approaches his side.

“You always carry a piece of kryptonite with you?”

“It’s insurance,” Batman says.

“And people say I’m scary,” Hawkgirl says in wonderment.

By the lake, Batman could see Superman talk to Superboy. Both their body language was a bit tense initially, but it seemed to relax over time.

The tension inside of him eases a little at the scene.

 

* * *

 

“You were right,” Superman says when they are finally alone.

Nightwing had elected to take the Teen Titans back to Titans Tower in the batplane, and the other members of the League were able to fly or run really fast to their next destination. Batman is once more alone with Superman at the cave with Alfred conveniently out of sight. The beta knows when his presence is not needed.

“Of course I’m right,” Bruce says matter-of-factly. He’s slightly giddy and a bit glad that the alpha finally has the point driven through his thick skull after all this time.

“Conner is...a good kid. It was unreasonable of me to keep away from him for so long, especially when everyone else had someone to help them become familiar with their powers.” The omega could see how difficult it is for the alpha to admit his error and relishes in his victory a little.

“It’s good that you realize that,” Bruce remarks.

“Listen Bruce, I want to apologize for how I've been acting. I want to make it up to you,” Clark says sincerely.

“Well there _is_ something that you can do,” Bruce says thoughtfully. “My heat is in two days. You can make it up to me like that.” The omega’s lips curl into a smile as the alpha pulls him close and devours his mouth. They both kissed each other like they were making up for lack of contact in the past weeks. The giddiness inside of Bruce seems only to flourish now that the alpha touching him again.

_A kiss to seal the deal._

 

* * *

 

Clark is slowly fingering the cum back into Bruce’s hole.

The alpha sitting between Bruce's legs looks entranced at his handiwork. Clark uses the hand not attending Bruce to slowly stroke his own cock. Bruce is an erotic vision with his open mouth, flushed face and damp skin, squirming and fisting his sheets as Clark pushes more fingers into the omega. His body is so responsive to every flick of Clark’s wrist. The alpha strokes himself faster at the unraveled man before him. Bruce is normally so uptight and stern as Batman that watching him unwind like this is a sight to behold. Clark can’t help but torment the omega a tad.

He’s waiting for Bruce to get hard again, but Bruce’s human body can’t recover as quickly as his Kryptonian physiology. His knot only receded ten minutes ago, and Clark feels like he can go again when ever Bruce is ready. It’s both a gift and a curse.

“You’re so loose that all my semen is dripping out of you,” Clark says full of amazement. A rivulet of cum trickles out and Clark uses his thick fingers to scoop it up and push it back in.

“ _Hghnn_ \- Whose fault is that?” Bruce asks breathlessly. Clark is being so very cruel teasing Bruce like this when his body is completely boneless from his recent orgasm. The alpha begins to curl his fingers inside of Bruce, slowly massaging his inner walls. “ _Ah!”_

_“Mine. All mine.”_ Bruce tries to close his trembling legs to hide his abused hole, but the alpha is already moving his body between the omega’s legs, his fingers mercilessly alternating between thrusting and massaging Bruce’s sweet spot. He’s nearly delirious with pleasure, and the omega is half mortified and half turned on by the squelching noises his body makes. Bruce doesn’t want Clark to ever stop.

“You’re so beautiful like this, Bruce. All spread out in front of me.” The alpha smirks at his choice in words. He abandons his cock to trace his damp fingers over faint scars on Bruce's torso. “You have a thousand stories etched onto your skin, and each one tells a tale of how you came to be.” Clark trails fingers down Bruce’s chest and grazes his abs. “Your history is imprinted onto your flesh and seeing it all laid bare…” Clark’s blue, blue eyes look at Bruce’s in fascination and something else. Bruce could feel his cock hardening under the scrutiny.

“My…aren’t you a talker,” Bruce pants. “You must be a hit with all the omegas and betas at the office.” He feels a little light-headed at the attention and ministrations he’s receiving as all the blood rushes between his legs. Clark pulls his fingers out and Bruce holds back a whine in the loss of contact. It feels emptier without Clark there.

The alpha positions his cock in front of Bruce’s hole and sink into the sopping wetness of Bruce’s heat. The omega makes a noise of contentment as he feels Clark move languidly inside of him.

“I only say these things to you, Bruce.” Clark’s voice is deep and guttural as he begins to thrust unhurriedly. Bruce is trapped between Clark’s muscular arms with his hot breath in his ear. “There is no one else.”

 

* * *

 

Bruce lies on his back, basking in the afterglow with Clark next him. His limbs are spread out and heavy. The lethargy in his body makes him want to stay like this forever. It’s the most serene he’s felt in days.

He is almost certain that his heat has run its course, but it is difficult to tell in the final hours whether or not the urge to be mounted will rise again. It is in these quiet moments after all the carnal passion that Bruce finds some semblance of contentment. Clark's body radiates warmth next to his, and reality seems like a distant dream he drifts in and out of. The sun is setting, and the shadows in his room elongate and meld together in familiar shapes. He almost nods off again when Clark calls his name.

He turns over to his side, cheek pressed against a soft white pillow with his arms in front of him. Only a blanket covers his naked body as he curls towards Clark’s. Their hands almost touch, and Clark is staring at Bruce with his eyes glittering in the twilight. He muses that the way they are laying right now could be a scene from a movie.

The alpha looks intently at Bruce.

"What if…we weren’t sleeping together just to sleep together?" Clark asks tentatively. His eyes are fixated on Bruce as if he wants to absorb every nuance of expression on the omega’s face.

"What do you mean?" Bruce's voice is quiet. He doesn’t want to disrupt this fragile illusion of peace, but the veil is quickly fading. The omega is pulled back into a reality that he is too aware of. _Why did he have to shatter this moment?_ A warm hand covers his and grounds him, drawing him back to Clark expecting face.

"I mean, what if we were together because we want to stay together? What if we became real lovers instead of dancing around each other like we are doing right now?" the alpha says earnestly. Bruce could see the glint of hope shining in Clark's eyes. He pulls his hand out of Clark's grasp and sits up, holding tightly onto the covers that conceal his dignity.

"No." The answer sounds heavy in the air and he could feel the weight of the syllable sink uncomfortably in his chest. Bruce doesn't turn to look at Clark. He doesn't want to see the hurt and confusion on the face that he had come to memorize and would recall on nights when the sun seem like it would never rise again. Every curve and angle, every expression. Clark wears his heart on his sleeve and his face gives everything away too easily. Bruce doesn't want to see the feeling behind Clark's words.

"Hear me out-"

"No, Clark." Bruce cuts the alpha off. "We only started sleeping together for the sake of convenience. I didn’t sleep with you because I wanted you to be my _mate_ , Clark. You think you want to be in a romantic relationship with me, because we've known each other for a while now and are already having sex but you don't. I just happened to be there when Lois broke your heart."

"You think I don’t know what I want for myself? Don’t twist this around on me!" The irritation in Clark's voice was biting and he could feel the bed dip as Clark sits up next to him. "Things ended with Lois and I know that. Just like I know who the person next to me is right now. Just like I know who I want to share a closer bond with. Look at me, dammit" Bruce feels panic rising up to his chest. Clark isn't going to stop pursuing this. He reluctantly looks at the Kryptonian.

"Remember the marks you left on me, Clark? They faded, and your feelings will fade with time too." The alpha gives him a look of disbelief. "You may think you want me, but you don’t. I was merely a warm body that you used to get over the woman you loved. Our closeness these past few months have made you emotionally confused." Bruce's heart is pounding as he says the words that would change everything.

"I think we should end it."

"What are you saying, Bruce? Clark asks, forcing him to confront the alpha head on. Steely blue eyes focus on him with a laser-like intensity and it feels like Clark is staring right through him.

"I’m saying it’s over. You were using me and I was using you. Nothing more could ever stem from this." He doesn't look away from Clark as he says the words. He doesn't show any weakness in his conviction. "Can you say for certain that you would have approached me if we never slept together in the first place? I was the easy option, the safe-"

"Yes," Clark says resolutely.

"What?"

"I think I would have Bruce. There’s no denying that we are...compatible when working together. We can predict each other’s movements without exchanging a single word, but you were always special to me. You were never afraid to say whatever’s on your mind to me even when others were, because of who I am, because of my powers. I never thought that we would come to this point. You acted like you could care less about getting close to people, but we did get closer. And I’m starting to feel something more between us, Bruce. So why can’t you give me a chance? Give us a chance?"

"That’s just your hormones talking, Clark. I’m your first omega, so you feel attached to me, but that’s just all the chemicals in your brain. You don’t really want me and I don’t want you, Clark.” His words are cold and brittle even to his own ears.

“Why are you trying so hard to deny that there is something more between us? What are you so afraid of, Bruce?”

“I’m not afraid of anything!” he snaps. “Why do you think I rather not spend my heat with anyone these past few years? People become too attached and then they make stupid decisions. This was a mistake. I should have never done this with you. I should have known that this would make you think that there’s something more between us when there isn’t. You’re too emotional and you get caught up too easily."

"Bruce-" Clark reaches his hand out to placate the man next to him.

"Don’t touch me!" Bruce looks sharply at the alpha. Clark recoils as if he’s been slapped. "Don’t touch me anymore. We’re finished."

As he says those words, Bruce could feel a sharp pain stabbing him in the chest. The dream was nice while it lasted.

This is all for the best. Clark would be better off without him. He knows he made the right decision.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! There is a lot of drama in this chapter. Thanks for sticking with me this far guys. Also special thanks to Evilpixie, Mesonoxian, Dragon717, Emono, ardlz, Dee, TheHighpriestess, Lexi, Albion_Mrnda for commenting on the previous chapter. It totally motivates me to write rather than study for finals like I should ^^ I also apologize for any anguish I may have caused *sweats profusely*

Bruce feels like he’s missing something important, but he doesn’t know what it is.

He knows he made the right decision, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Clark deserves more than this farce of a relationship. He deserves something real.

The sight of Dick, Barbara, and Tim laughing and talking at the dining table eases the ache in his chest a little.

“Hey Bruce,” Barbara greets him. “Is Clark not eating with us today?”

“He left early.” Right after their conversation to be exact. Clark didn’t even spare him a glance when he left through the window.

“I guess I’ll see him around later then,” she says. The family had become accustom to Clark’s presence in Wayne Manor nearly every month now. It was understood that Clark came specifically for Bruce during his heats.

“He won’t be coming around as often anymore,” Bruce says airily.

“Why not?” Dick asks.

“We decided to end things.”

“But he likes you too much to end things,” Tim exclaims.

“Something must have changed,” Barbara speculates. “I bet he finally confessed to you.”

“And you threw him out of bed for that?” Dick asks incredulously.

“It’s not like that,” Bruce says, sipping his cup of tea that Alfred brought out. “He left by choice.”

“Sounds like you didn’t give him much choice if you rejected him after spending all that time with him. All of us could see how much he likes you,” Barbara says.

“You can’t push people away every time they get too close, Bruce,” Dick adds.

“I didn’t turn all of you away,” Bruce says behind his cup of tea. Having heavy conversations in the morning isn’t how he intended to start the day.

“You tried to, but we were very persistent,” Tim says with silent nods of agreement from Barbara and Dick.

“You’re doing the same to Clark that you did to Selina. Clark is a good person. Why can’t you give him a chance?” Dick asks, furrowing his brows.

“I know Clark is a good person,” Bruce says setting his empty cup down. “But I can’t give him what he wants. A normal life, a happy family. That just isn’t possible with me.”

“How do you know? I don’t think you have any right to decide what he wants. You gave me a family when I lost my parents. You, me, Alfred, Tim and Babs. We are a family and we do just fine,” Dick says seriously.

“Master Dick is right,” Alfred interjects. “Just because things did not end well with Mr. Queen doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen with Mr. Kent.”

“Queen- Oliver Queen?” Dick asks, surprised at the information. Their relationship had occurred long before Dick was adopted by Bruce, and the omega never bothered bringing up old history.

Alfred nods.

Tim gives Barbara a confused look and she mouths ‘Arrow’ back at him. Tim’s eyes widen at the revelation.

“You were with Oliver Queen?” Dick asks, still bewildered at the information. The beta shakes his head. “That’s beside the point. They are two different people. You have some serious trust issues, Bruce.”

“I have trust issues for a reason,” Bruce grunts.

 

* * *

 

After things ended with Clark, Bruce threw himself into his work. Employees at Wayne Enterprises started seeing more of the billionaire's face around the company, and Batman has a sudden interest in cracking down even harder on the smaller criminals of Gotham City. A stolen vehicle easily earns the thief a ticket to being hung upside down off a ten story building, and if they resisted, broken bones aren’t uncommon for those on the opposing side of the dark knight.

He didn’t want to worry the kids by drinking again, so this was the better option. Bruce would work until his mind is filled with numbers and figures and his body is exhausted from chasing down criminals. At night, or early morning depending on the days, he would collapse into bed for a few blissful hours of nothingness. He would be too drained to think, to dream, to miss.

Everything would fade away with time, and Clark wouldn’t have such a hurt look every time he sees Bruce at any League events, and Bruce wouldn’t feel himself wavering, and everything would go back to how it was before.

Before they slept together. Before he learned how it felt to be held in Clark’s arms. Before he-

 

* * *

 

Bruce Wayne is in the middle of a board meeting when Scarecrow attacks.

The large windows of the conference room on the twenty-seventh floor are broken into by Scarecrow and twelve heavily armed men in black combat boots. Glass shards fly everywhere, and surprised yelps and screams could be heard from the board members scrambling for cover.

“Get down onto the ground!” the men in masks screamed, brandishing their rifles wildly.

Bruce reaches into his pocket to activate the honing system in the batmobile. He has a spare batsuit in trunk. The seven board members have been corralled to the opposite end of the room. Frighten faces cower behind raised arms as half of the armed men aimed their guns at the hostages' heads.

“Hello, Mr. Wayne. Sorry to drop in on your meeting like this,” Scarecrow drones, signaling two of his men to get behind Bruce. They each grabbed his arms and twisted it behind his back so he couldn’t get away. Not that he would make any sudden movements right now when Scarecrow’s got hostages lined up and he is outnumbered. Wouldn't want the thugs getting a little too trigger happy.

“What do you want, Scarecrow?” Bruce asks, drawing attention to himself and hopefully getting some information out of the armed assailants. It was obvious that he was the main target judging by the way he had been singled out.

“People have been getting a little complacent lately with your little project, Mr. Wayne. They think that they can overthrow the hierarchy, but that's not going to happen. I've noticed a distinct lack of fear in these streets lately and I intend to change that.”

“Don’t you have some water supply to pollute with your toxin? Attacking my building is hardly going to do anything about the ‘fear in these streets’.”

“Oh but it does have something to do with you! Consider this a commissioned job. Someone sees you as a _thorn_ in their side. You’ve been trying too hard to change Gotham City and the boss doesn’t like it.”

“So you’re going to kill me now?” Bruce deadpans. There are currently five ways he could break out of the hold the men have on him, and seventeen different ways he could take them out. When the batmobile gets here, he could make it fire some smoke bombs into the room which should cause enough of a distraction for him to take down the men without risking the hostages.

“No, we won’t kill you Mr. Wayne. You would only be a martyr to these people. Fear is power, and what better way to instill fear than to have their champion bow down to the darkness. What could the lowly Gothamite do when the person leading them in this crusade is no longer a match for the true rulers of Gotham?”

“That is never going to happen!” Bruce spats. The batmobile should be arriving soon.

“What do you fear?” Scarecrow croons as he walks closer to Bruce. The men behind him twist his arms further, forcing him to arch his back uncomfortably.

Scarecrow stabs a needle into his neck, injecting what is likely a dose of his fear toxin. The room in front of Bruce begins to blur and he blinks in attempt to clear his vision.

Large black bats appear from the corners of the room and begin flying everywhere. The air is thick with dark flying masses, and it is difficult to see anything other than the creatures. Scarecrow disappears from his field of vision, and a human form begins to morph from the blackness.

It slowly slinks towards him, and suddenly Oliver Queen is standing before him with his blonde hair and green eyes.

“Remember when we were together, Brucie?” Ollie looks at him with glassy green eyes, his face twisted in revulsion. “God you were such a clingy little bitch, always begging for my cock, always following me around.” The illusion circles him, disdain evident in its voice and movement. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. You were so quiet and gloomy. Not cute at all. That’s why I slept with your little friend. What was her name again? Rachel?” Not-Ollie laughs gleefully. Bruce grits his teeth, trying to ignore the spiteful words intended to break his cool.

“Remember your first heat, you were so desperate to be fucked that you begged me to take your virginity. How was it, Bruce? I wasn’t just the first person to fuck you, but I was also the first one to fuck you over. You chose me, so you really can’t complain if things didn’t turned out the way you wanted it to. There’s no one other than you to blame really.” Not-Ollie gives him a phony sympathetic look. “Oh wait, I wasn’t the first one to screw you over. That honor belongs to the guy who killed your parents.” Not-Ollie leans in menacingly. “Going to cry about mommy and daddy again?”

Bruce tries to twist out of his restraint and dispel the vision before him, but his body wouldn’t listen. _There must also be a paralytic agent in the serum._

“God you were such a simpering pathetic cunt.” Not-Ollie spat at him. “The look on you face when you saw me fucking that girl in my room. Did you cry, Bruce? Oh wait! I know you did. Did it hurt? Was that our special place together?” The pain in his chest grows with each word uttered out of the visage he had been so familiar with. _This isn’t Ollie. This isn’t Ollie. This isn’t real. It’s all Scarecrow’s toxin._

“You were so easy to anyone who showed you the teeniest bit of kindness. You practically threw yourself at my feet. Where’s your sense of self-worth? Your parents would be so disappointed if they found out that their son turned into such a _whore_. I guess that’s one benefit of going to an early grave. They didn’t have to see what a wretched mess you turned out to be.”

Bruce feels his eyes watering and closes them to block out Not-Ollie’s face, but it was futile. He steels himself against stinging insults and thinks of anything else, anyone else.

_Your parents would be so proud of you if they knew all of the good that you do._

He holds onto Clark’s words like a prayer. When he opens his eyes again, the person he had been thinking of stood before him. Bruce is elated for a moment before his heart drops. Not-Ollie approaches Clark and pats him on the shoulder genially.

_No!_

_“_ You really dodged a bullet there, Clark,” Not-Ollie says.

“That I did, Ollie,” Clark says before looking him in the eyes. The alpha’s face is cold and cruel. “You thought that I really wanted to be with you. You were good for only one thing, Bruce, and that was for a free fuck. No one could really want someone as broken and twisted up inside as you are." Despite knowing that, the agony in his chest doesn’t lessen, instead it twists around his heart, each syllable from Not-Clark’s mouth cuts deeper than Not-Ollie’s ever did. "Did you know that when you were sucking my cock I was thinking about sweet, sweet Lois all along? She is better than you can ever hope to be. She isn’t broken like you are.” _Clark would never say those things._ Frustrated tears fall from his eyes and each breath he draws only makes the pang in his chest more poignant.

“Wasn’t the girl you were fucking a beta too?” Not-Clark smirks and asks Not-Ollie in false camaraderie.

“Yeah she was,” Not-Ollie answers gleefully. He turns to look at Bruce sadistically. “Always losing out to beta girls, huh? I guess once alphas got used to your scent, you truly don’t have much left to offer.”

“You spend all your time in that dark, damp cave with those _bats_ ,” Not-Clark says in a disgusted voice. “Nasty little creatures, basically flying rats. Too scared to show their faces in sunlight. Just like you.” Not-Clark sneers at him with contempt in his icy blue eyes. “Everything about you is fake isn’t it, Bruce? Behind your mask is another mask. Deep inside, behind all the bravado and confidence, you’re just a revolting little bat. Fitting name really, _Batman_. Too afraid of what you’ll find in the light of day?”

“You pretend that you don’t need anyone. That you’re stronger than anyone else, but you know you’re wrong, Bruce,” Not-Oliver muses. “Isn’t that why you asked me to fuck you in the first place? As much as you _loathe_ admitting it, you want to be around other people. You’re just scared of becoming too attached and then left behind. Again.” Not-Ollie sniggers.

Bruce clenches his fists. _I am not alone. I have a family that cares about me._

“Alfred’s only stuck around for the money, you know. How much do you pay him anyway? Must be a decent amount if he willingly chose the job of babysitting a bratty rich boy like you,” Not-Clark mocks. “You think those kids actually care about you? They are saddled with you because you couldn’t do your job right!” Furious blue eyes glare at him. “If you were able to take care of the Joker in the first place, Barbara wouldn’t have been paralyzed. If you had kept a closer eye on Tim, he wouldn’t have been attacked by the Penguin and his parents wouldn’t have to go into hiding. He has parents but he can’t even see them! And if you had kept the mafia in line, Dick’s parents wouldn’t have died right in front of him. You wanted to protect the city and you couldn’t even do that right!” Not-Clark snarls. “Face it. Nothing can save this city. Everything you do is pointless. There’s no point in even trying.”

_Every life you save matters, Bruce. Every. Single. One._

Not-Clark’s face begins to melt and distort. The pale skin darkened into a putrid brown, eyes blackened into an empty abyss that no light could illuminate.

Scarecrow is staring him in the face. “This city is hopeless. You should stop while you're ahead.”

Bruce clenches his teeth.

“I will never stop trying to make this city better!”

With those words, Nightwing and Red Robin burst into the conference room from the broken windows. Apparently, they hitched a ride on the batmobile currently operating in flight mode. Together they were able to disarm and knockout the men keeping the board members hostage.

Bruce quickly twists out of the grip of the men holding him down, bringing one down with a blow to the head and kicking the other in the stomach towards Nightwing. Scarecrow lunges at him, but he dodges the fist aimed at him, catches the arm, and knocks the man's feet out from underneath him. Pinning the villain with his weight, Bruce grabs the cloth covered face and slams his head onto the tile floor.

“Who sent you?” He growls. “Tell me!”

“You think you can stop him?” Scarecrow chuckles, his laughter an ugly, hollow sound that rattles in his chest. “No one can stop him.”

Scarecrow throws him off with surprising force behind the lithe form and Bruce falls to his side. He is still disoriented and slightly nauseous from the toxin. He had built up immunity to most of Scarecrow’s toxin over the years, but this dosage feels a little different, likely a new formula synthesized courtesy of the person behind the attack.

Scarecrow nearly makes it out of the window before an electric eskrima stick hits him in the back of the neck and knocks him down.

“Are you all right, Mr. Wayne?” Red Robin asks, kneeling beside him.

“I’m- I’m fine,” Bruce replies, pushing himself off the ground. A twinge of pain causes him to look down to see that he had landed on broken shards of glass.

Bright red blood stains his hands.

_What are you so afraid of, Bruce?_

_I’m not afraid of anything!_

He curls his fingers into loose fists.

 

* * *

 

The investors are getting antsy.

Poison Ivy’s attack on the construction a few weeks back raised a few eyebrows, but with Scarecrow’s recent attack on the Wayne building, people were having second thoughts.

The project which could become a pivotal point in Gotham City is facing resistance from the underworld. Someone wants to stop the project from happening, and they weren’t afraid of employing some of Gotham’s better known villains to do the job.

Bruce Wayne needed to find a way to quell the concerns of the people funding the project. What better way to appease the rich than to throw a party and remind them what they are funding for exactly.

“Gotham City is our future and we cannot let them stop us! This is our city!” Bruce finishes his speech on a high note in front of the crowd of people. A round of applause resounds in his ears and he holds still for the cameras. Many of the previous worried faces before look determined now. They will not back down to some lowlifes. The press now knows his stance on the project despite being attacked the previous week.

“Great speech,” Oliver says with a smile.

“Thanks.”

He feels slightly disconcerted seeing Oliver’s face after the incident with Scarecrow. The alpha had called to ask how he was doing as soon as he heard of the news, but Bruce assuaged his concerns with the fewest words possible.

They make some small talk before a familiar figure catches his attention.

Piercing blue eyes stare straight at him and Ollie.

His heart begins thumping rapidly. _What is he doing here?_

Clark is dressed as a civilian in an impeccable slate grey suit and striped tie. _He’s a reporter for the Daily Planet, of course he’s here for a job._

Bruce turns around and grabs Ollie by the arm, ushering him to a table of refreshments.

“Ollie have you tried this before?” Bruce asks, holding up an hors d'oeuvre he picked off a platter. Clark is probably here to cover the story about the development project. They should keep their distance to avoid too much association.

“No, I haven’t” Ollie says, looking at the toothpick that had some prosciutto arranged as a rose on top of a piece of melon. He takes Bruce’s hand while the omega is distracted and brings the piece of food to his mouth.

Bruce blinks as the alpha stare at him with intense green eyes while chewing on the appetizer.

“It’s quite good,” Oliver says after swallowing. He did not expect that. Bruce nods and sets the toothpick on the table. The action is undoubtedly intimate and something he is not prepared to deal with. When he turned around again, Clark is right beside him.

“Hello, I’m Clark Kent from the Daily Planet.” The alpha brandishes his trademark smile and holds out a hand to the man next to Bruce. Oliver has a strange expression on his face as he shakes Clark's hand

“Hello, Mr. Kemp,” Bruce says, taking the reporter's hand. _Why is he doing this here?_

“Kent,” Clark emphasizes.

“Right. What do you need, Mr. Kent?” Oliver watches the scene play out before him.

“So I’ve heard your speech on the development project, but I want an insider’s view on what the other companies’ involvements are. For instance, what is Mr. Queen’s role in all of this?” Clark asks, glancing at the alpha next to Bruce.

“Well we are childhood friends, and when I heard about Bruce’s project I wanted to help,” Ollie fills in for Bruce and puts a possessive arm over the omega’s shoulder.

Bruce could see an animosity rising between the two alphas, and the scent of testosterone they both give off is overwhelming.

“Oh I remember we have some business we needed to discuss,” Bruce says, breaking the tension. “Excuse me, Mr. Kent. If you want to have an interview, please set up an appointment with my secretary. He snakes out from under Oliver’s arm, and starts pulling the alpha toward a private room, preferably one soundproofed with lead walls where Clark can’t eavesdrop.

What’s the point of owning a few hotels if he can’t customize some rooms?

Oliver lets Bruce direct him into an empty room. As soon as the door is closed, he asks the question burning in his mind the moment the reporter introduced himself.

“You know him right?”

“No I don’t” Bruce says, making a confused expression.

“Then why did you take me here? Aren’t you running away from him?”

“What are you talking about, Ollie? I took you here to ask you what the heck all of that was about.”

“All of what?”

“All of that- that _alpha posturing_! You just met the guy and you looked like you wanted to start a fight with him.”

“No, you do know him,” Ollie says certainly. “Was he the one who hurt you?”

“No!” Bruce responds a little too quickly. “Alfred told you, I was in a riding accident. It had nothing to do with Cla-.” Bruce curses internally. He had basically just admitted what he was trying to deny. “Why do you care anyway?” the omega huffs.

“Of course I care about you, Bruce!” the alpha barks.

“Stop lying to me! I can’t do this again.” Bruce runs his fingers through his hair. Just the sight of the two alphas together rattled his nerves in more than one way.

“Why would I lie about that?” Ollie asks, surprised at the omega’s outburst.

Bruce lets out a hollow laugh. “You remember the reason we broke up, right? You cheated on me. Intentionally hurt me. I thought you cared for me as much as I cared for you, but I was wrong. We are no better than _acquaintances_.”

The alpha in front of him pales.

“Bruce- I am so sorry I hurt you. I never meant to-“

“What you never meant to fuck that girl?” Bruce hisses. “Because that’s sure what it looked like.”

“I pushed you away back then because I was scared,” Oliver pleads. “Because we were getting too close to fast and I wasn’t ready for that. I was so scared back then. That someone- anyone could mean so much to me. The pressure was unbearable and I felt like I had to- I had to ruin everything, because if not, I would have ruined it all eventually.” The alpha’s shoulders sagged against his frame. Guilt had weighed down on him all these times, but he had been too scared to bring up the past. Just seeing Bruce again rekindled old feelings, and he couldn’t help but want be how they were. He had been so naïve to think that they could go on pretending what he did never happened.

Bruce bites the inside of his cheek. At last he’s finally got the answer he’s been waiting for all these years. He sits down heavily on the bed in the room and rubs his face wearily.

“I’m sorry, Bruce. I’m so, so sorry. But I’ve changed, and if you let me-“

“I know you changed, Ollie. But even though I know that, I can never be more than friends with you.” He lets the alpha down easily. “There are too many memories, wounds that still hurt that I never got closure for. I mean how was I supposed to feel when someone I grew up with hurt me so badly? Every time I’m with someone now, I can’t get over the feeling that they are going to betray me on day. The only person- The only person who has never, NEVER intentionally hurt me was Clark. But even when I’m with him, I feel like I don’t deserve him. I’m afraid that he’s going to find someone else one day and leave me,” Bruce says. He doesn’t know why he’s telling Ollie this, but all the thoughts he’s been carrying around in his mind slips out. Maybe if he just dumps it out there the feelings would dissipate.

Ironically, they had gone back to actually telling each other the truth.

“I was young and stupid back then, Bruce. What I did was in no way your fault.”

“I was young and stupid too, Ollie. For trusting anyone that much. For letting anyone in that close.”

Oliver shakes his head, tears welling up. _I am so sorry, Bruce._

 

* * *

 

It’s chilly outside and the rain is more like bullets bouncing off his skin, but Clark can’t feel anything other than the boiling anger underneath his skin. People huddled in their coats underneath their umbrellas, but Clark marches forward unshaken by Gotham’s fickle weather.

The sight of Bruce smiling and talking with another alpha fuels a jealous rage within him. He had tried to keep his distance and respect Bruce’s wishes, but when he saw the look Oliver Queen gave Bruce as he ate from his hand, all his reasoning evaporated.

Before he knew it, he was introducing himself to the couple. The beast inside of him howls even further as he saw the alpha put his arm around Bruce. The sight of them walking away together hurt more than anything he could imagine.

He finally approaches his destination and begins ringing the doorbell. Alfred greets him at the door and steps back to let him out of the rain.

“Please call Bruce down. I want to talk to him,” Clark says tersely. He is in no mood for pleasantries with anyone right now. His coat is dripping water onto the rug, and the alpha removes it to hang it on the coat rack. Clark had opted to walk all the way to Wayne Manor in attempt to cool his head, but the action proved largely ineffective.

Alfred promptly disappears and moments later Bruce is walking down the stairs in a thin white shirt and black shorts. The omega appears ready to go to bed for once at this hour. The sight of Bruce reminds the alpha of Oliver Queen all over again and his anger flares.

Bruce approaches Clark warily.

“What do you want, Clark?” Just being this close to Clark again without other people and pretenses surrounding them feel unreal, but the alpha is agitated. His scent throws Bruce’s sense for a loop and he fights the urge to run to the alpha to calm him.

“Was that why you rejected me?" Clark growls, "You were bored of me and you just decided to move onto Oliver Queen? At least have the courtesy to tell it to my face before fucking someone else!" Clark looks absolutely livid. His eyes glows a dangerous red. "I was so stupid to think that after all this time I could be something more to you. I didn't want to force my feelings onto you, because I know that you aren't used to being open about how you feel, but this is too much! You played me for a fool."

Bruce is initially shocked at the alpha’s outburst, but then his face became red with indignation.

“What the hell are you talking about?! There is nothing going on between me and Oliver!" Bruce yells out. “Why would I fuck someone else while I was with you?!”

“You really didn’t do anything with, Oliver?” relief floods over Clark.

“Why would I do anything with Oliver when all I could think about is you?” Bruce tries to rein in his emotions, but the emotional upheaval earlier in the evening along with the sight of the alpha in front of broke any dam he tries to set up. “You drive me crazy when I’m with you,” Bruce grits out, unable to keep the frustrated tears from spilling over “but when I’m not with you nothing feels right.”

Bruce's words crash down onto the alpha. “Is it really so bad to be with me?" Clark asks with a hurtful expression on his face. "Or you just couldn’t bear the thought of us being something more than fuck buddies because I’m not human?” The final admission of his personal fear fills Clark with dread.

“No.” disbelief colors Bruce’s voice. His brows wrinkle in confusion, how could Clark think of him like that? “You don’t get it, Clark” he says after a while. “Why do you think I keep that giant penny in the cave? Old costumes and models of the batmobile?" Bruce asks. The questions seem to come from nowhere. "Orphans have a bad habit of letting things go. Losing so much…makes it that much harder to give things up. This thing between us started out as just sex. If you decided to leave one day…I would have to give you up. It was better for me to let go before I can’t anymore” Distraught seems to fill Bruce’s very core. “I know that you want more than what I can give you. I see the worst in people. I’m paranoid and obsessed, and I always think I’m right. But you see the best in people. You give people hope.” Tears stream from his eyes. “You want a happy, warm, loving family and I can’t give you that. I don't know how to give you that,” the words tumble out.

“Damn it, Bruce. You don’t get decide what I want. I want you. Not some made up image of what you think I deserve. I know that you’re paranoid, and obsessed, and stubborn to boot. I know that despite all the years that passed, part of you still never got over your parents. I know that you think I’m naïve in thinking that the world could be better than this, but it can be! And I know that you believe it too! That’s why you give criminals like Joker and Freeze second chances despite all the times they tried to kill you. You believe that people can change for the better. That’s why you haven’t given up on Gotham either no matter how hopeless it seems.” Clark lessens the gap between him and Bruce and takes Bruce’s hand in his. “I see you fight for a better world no matter how difficult things get and I love you for it.”

Bruce was speechless. How could Clark still want him? Despite all the times he pushed him away? Despite all the things that he’s done?

“I…” Bruce trails off, unsure of how to continue. “You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t tell me what I feel. You think that this is easy for me to say? I meant every word, Bruce. You don’t have to tell me you love me back, but don’t brush me off and make me look like an idiot who doesn’t even know the difference between sex and love.” The alpha softens his gaze.

“Just answer me this, truthfully. I can listen to your heartbeat and tell if you’re lying.” Clark knows that his threat is unfounded since Bruce can control his heart rate even when fighting, but the words make him feel like he at least has an edge on the man holds his heart.

“Do you want to be with me?”

Bruce’s face looks so fragile, as if the next word he utters could either make or break him.

“Yes.”

And that was all Clark needed to hear before closing the gap between them and sealing Bruce’s lips with a kiss, embracing the delicate truth between them. He tries to convey all his feelings through his kisses and holds onto the omega as if his life depended on it.

Bruce loses himself in the moment. Each time Clark touches him, he is brought to a new high. He feels like he is floating and falling all at once and he can’t seem to gain his footing.

“I can’t- Clark-“ Bruce says between kisses that steal his breath away.

Clark pauses to look at his beloved.

“I- I need some time to think about this. About us. I’m getting all muddled up with you here.”

“What do you need to think about?” Clark asks. Apprehension grips his throat at the thought of Bruce pushing him away again.

“I just need some time to think and to clear my mind. A lot has been happening lately,” Bruce says honestly, looking at the alpha with unflinching eyes. He hopes Clark can understand.

Clark holds onto the omega for a few more moments before opening his arms and taking a step back. He gives Bruce a wistful smile.

“I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

 

* * *

 

It’s been days since Clark last seen or heard from Bruce, but he is willing to wait until the omega calls him. Everything at his office continues as normal. He does his research and writes his articles, but he can’t seem to focus on anything amidst the mindless chatter and ringing telephones. He stares blankly at the documents in front of him.

“Clark. Clark!” Lois shouts, balancing the phone between her neck and shoulder while holding a stack of papers. “A Mr. Queen wants to talk to you.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and the kudos! Also special thanks to Mesonoxian, ochoacruz22, Dragon717, ardlz, Evilpixie, JMCaptein for commenting.
> 
> Warning: There is threat of rape in this chapter, but it doesn't happen.

Unsaid words hung heavy in the air.

The two alphas sat across from one another in a small coffee shop near the Daily Planet. It is well after lunch hour, and the café is mostly empty. There is only one other customer sitting in the far corner behind some decorative plants, but she is busily typing away on her keyboard with her headphones plugged in. Whatever needed to be said won’t be heard by her or the barista in the noisy kitchen.

Wooden ceiling fans spin lazily above them.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Mr. Queen?” Clark asks, eying the alpha who had sought him out. The night at Bruce’s gala was the first time Clark Kent and Oliver Queen officially met. As far as he knew, Oliver is still unaware of his and Bruce’s identity. Oliver’s lingering scent around Bruce had grated against his nerves for a while now, but Bruce had confirmed that there was nothing more between him and Oliver. So why did Ollie come looking for Clark at the Daily Planet?

“Listen, Kent." Oliver cuts to the chase, forgoing any formalities. "I know about that there’s something going on between you and Bruce, and I need to know if you’re serious about him.” Clark acts surprised behind his rimmed glasses. He kept up most of his act as the dull reporter, but Ollie looks ready to pick a fight.

“I don’t see how my relationship with Mr. Wayne has anything to do with you,” Clark rebuffs and pushes his glasses up. The alpha had no right sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.

“It’s has something to do with me because I don’t want to see Bruce hurt again. I want to make sure that the guy he currently has feelings for isn’t a complete flake like the one who broke his heart years ago.” Oliver folds his hands and stares intently at Clark. “So I’m asking you again. Are you serious about him?” _Again?_

“I am very serious about him,” Clark says taking off his glasses. He sits a little straighter, dropping the meek and introverted act. If Oliver wants to talk about Bruce, then they will talk about Bruce without any falsehoods.

“I hope you’re not lying to me for your sake.” Green eyes clash with blue. Realization dawns upon Oliver like a strike of lightning. “You’re-“ he clenches his fists. “But you and Ba-, Canary and I saw you and him together at the Watchtower,” Oliver says accusingly.

Clark’s mouth twitches and he replaces his glasses. It was true that he and Bruce did have after mission sex sometimes. What can he say; nothing gets their adrenaline pumping better than a life or death situation. It also makes Bruce incredible horny, but he doesn't want to think about that with Oliver in front of him.

“Like I said Ollie, I am very serious about Bruce,” Clark says tapping the table for emphasis.

“Shit. _Shit._ ” Oliver balls his hand into a fist and smacks himself in the forehead, leaning back into his chair. “Holy _fucking hell._ ” The injuries, busy schedule, and knowing expressions Bruce makes sometimes when he didn’t think Oliver was looking suddenly clicks into place. He had been so blind. The omega is definitely stronger than he gives him credit for.

“What do you plan to do with that information, Mr. Queen?” Clark Kent, no, _Superman_ asks him.

“I don’t plan to do anything.” Ollie is still recalling all the missions he had done with Batman, with _Bruce._ All the times they fought together and saved each other’s lives, and the omega still never let his identity slip. “I just want to make sure Bruce ends up with a decent guy this time."

"What do you mean this time?"

"I hurt him a long time ago," Oliver says remorsefully. _That sonuva-_ "Your records are spotless as far as I can tell. Much cleaner than mine.” Then in lower tone, “but make one wrong move and I swear I have a kryptonite arrow somewhere.”

Clark scoffs. “I’ll hold you to it if that day ever comes.”

 

* * *

 

Metropolis. The City of Tomorrow is a well-lit place even at night.

Numerous streetlights and people fill the crosswalks with their laughter and chatter, bustling along towards their destination of clubs, malls, or restaurants opened at odd hours. From the modern architecture to the high tech railways, the city lives up to its title.

It really is the antithesis of Gotham City in many ways, characterized by its ancient stone buildings which seem to breathe history.

Superman flies and weaves through the abundant skyscrapers of Metropolis. He couldn’t sleep again tonight. Not that he needs it, but it certainly helps.

His communicator remains silent as the air whips around him. He made sure to wear it in his ear every time he goes flying now on the off chance that Bruce would contact him, but the omega is staying silent. He has been for weeks now, and as much as Clark wants to fly over to Gotham, he will keep his promise to Bruce. He would wait until the omega is ready for him. Until _his_ omega is ready for him.

The communicator begins to crackle with life, causing Superman to stop midflight. This is the moment he’s been waiting for.

“Superman- Superman are you there?”

“Nightwing?” What was Dick doing on his and Bruce’s private communication line?

“You need to come over to Gotham right now! Penguin is attacking Wayne Manor tonight and Bruce is alone and in heat!” Clark can hear sounds of fighting in the background. “My hands are tied with Clayface right now, and you’re the only one who can come to him in time!”

_Bruce!_

“I’m heading over right now!”

Faster than a speeding bullet, he heads straight for Gotham.

 

* * *

 

“Are you guys sure this is a good idea? Isn’t this dangerous with him in heat?” Conner asks. It's his first time in the batcave, and it would be pretty impressive if he wasn’t currently plotting against his mentor. Okay, so the cave is still impressive no matter why he is here in the first place.

“His cycle just started, so he should still be able to fight,” Nightwing says spinning his chair around to face Oracle, Red Robin, and Superboy. “If we time this right, Clark will arrive just as Bruce’s heat really kicks off.”

“This all feels very parent trap-ish,” Tim says thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

“What’s that?” Superboy asks.

“Movie. I’ll show it to you later at the Tower.” Tim says.

“Don’t you guys think this is kind of manipulative?” Conner asks. “They’re adults. They’ll talk to each other when they’re ready.” His opinion is met with three identical unrepentant stares.

“If we let Bruce think about this for too long on this, he’s just going to drag this out. We're just speeding things up, and helping them both take a step forward,” Dick says.

“Besides, aren’t you tired of seeing Clark mope around all the time?” Barbara asks, looking at the dubious teen meaningfully.

She does have a point. _Damn, they’re good._ Conner grudgingly agrees.

“We needed to strike while the iron’s hot,” Dick elaborates.

“And how do you know the iron is hot?” Conner raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“They had their talk in Wayne Manor," Tim supplies. "The place is bugged everywhere. If they really wanted privacy, they would have found someplace else to talk,” Tim says nonchalantly. “We’re also monitoring Bruce, so it's not like we're _really_ leaving him out there alone.”

Conner mouths the word ‘wow’. _So this is the Batfamily._

 

* * *

 

Bruce’s breath is shallow as another wave of cramps hit him.

It’s like being stabbed, but instead of having the knife pulled out cleanly, someone decided to twist the blade in his gut.

His heat began a few hours ago, and without an alpha near, his endocrine system seems to be going unstable again. He curses the few omegas who don’t have to bear the grueling pain. Bruce hobbles out of bed, finally unable to take the pain and heat any longer.

He’s going to go downstairs and find some acetaminophen or ibuprofen or whatever the hell generic pain reliever, fever reducer there is available. That should be enough to take the edge off things.

Alfred is usually prepared for situations like these, but the beta is on forced vacation leave. Despite his protests about leaving Bruce during his heat, Bruce insisted that he wanted some time alone. It wasn’t his first heat without Alfred after all. He just wanted some time to himself, but his plan mostly fell through when he realizes that all he wanted is for Clark to be with him.

Bruce is hunched over as a he grips the rail and staggers down the stairs. Standing up straight hurts like hell, and at least no one is there to see him sweating like a pig through his pajamas. The omega’s still too cognizant to walk around in the nude despite how he’s feeling hot he’s feeling. His muscle spasms and some slick flows out soaking the crotch of his pants. He forgot how unpleasant this could be.

He’s almost to the medicine cabinet when he hears the sound of something breaking and angry curses that follow. Abandoning his original path towards the pills, he stealthily moves towards the noise. There shouldn’t be anyone here at this hour. Alfred should have already boarded his plane to France and Nightwing and Red Robin should be out patrolling.

Penguin and some thugs stand next to broken porcelain shards of what used to be an expensive vase.

_What the fuck is he doing here?_

Bruce's scent gives him away immediately.

“There you are,” the short and pudgy beta says in a nasally voice. He leers at Bruce and grins as he grasps the omega’s predicament. “Seems like this isn’t a very good time for you.”

“What do you want Penguin?” He glares at the man wearing the ridiculous top hat and monocle.

“I want you to back down.” Penguin points his umbrella at Bruce, the sharpened steel tip glints threateningly. So Penguin is behind Scarecrow's attack. Bruce had narrowed down the list of those who would benefit from Wayne Enterprise's failure, and Oswald Cobblepott was among the suspects. The fact that he's here only solidifies Bruce's suspicion. Still, the timing could be better. “You see your little project has been interfering with the businesses around my casinos, and I can’t let you get away with that.”

“Your _business_ is a place of pipe dreams. You rob the people blind with illicit dealings. I offer them a legitimate way to earn a living.”

“And Wayne Enterprise never once used any underhanded tactics to get to where it is today? You alone are above it all in your high and mighty endeavors?” Penguin looks at Bruce disdainfully. “Get him boys. Looks like we need to teach a bitch who Gotham’s true master is.”

Bruce knocks out five men with various jabs, punches and kicks before another wave of cramp causes him to not put enough force into his last kick. The man on the receiving end catches his leg by the ankle and pulls, breaking Bruce’s stance and dropping him to the floor. By the time the wracking pain fades, three of the men, who distinctly smell like alphas, have him pinned facedown with a knee to his back. His arms are locked in an unyielding grip by one alpha on his back and his legs are held down at the ankles by another.

He could smell their arousal in the air, and he tries to buck off the alpha on top of him. His thin silk pajamas do little to protect him from the unwanted touches. _Not Clark. Wrongwrongwrong-_ The alpha digs his knee deeper into Bruce’s back and he gasps as the pressure intensifies the excruciating cramps. The second man grabs him by the hair and pulls his head back harshly until he sees Penguin looking down at him.

“Well, well, well. Look at the Wayne brat groveling at my feet.” Penguin snickers. “You omegas are just like vases. Pretty to look at, but really you’re just something made to be filled. Isn’t that how Wayne Enterprises was able to climb to the top of the business industry so quickly?" Penguin taps Bruce's cheek with the sharp end of the umbrella and moves it down the length of his neck, slicing open his collar. "Even I could tell you smell ripe for the picking. You would just love it if I let these three take you right here wouldn’t you?”

“ _Fuck off,”_ Bruce snarls. There's not a snowball's chance in hell he's going to ever let that happen.

“Ah- ah- ah-“ Penguin says, moving the blade to the hollow of his throat, forcing the omega to look up at the smug villain to avoid the deadly point. “What if I recorded them all having their way with you? Oh the shame and humiliation upon the Wayne family! All across the media. It would only confirm what everyone knows.” Righteous anger burned deep inside Bruce. He’s tired of omegas being objectified by scum like Penguin.

The beta removes his weapon and signals his men. Bruce feels the hold on his ankles loosen as the third alpha moves his hand suggestively up the length of his leg.

Pulling his leg out of the weakened hold, Bruce kicks alpha number three in the face, sending the man sprawling backwards. Turning his body, he manages to dislodge alpha number one off his back and elbows him in the face. In a second, he grabs and twists alpha number two’s wrist freeing his hair, and dislocating the man’s shoulder. Number one and number three begin teaming up on him again, but he swiftly neutralized them with a kick to the groin and a punch to the sternum. Further well-placed blows to the head and neck and all three were down for the count.

Bruce pants heavily as he squares off Penguin. _Eight down, one to go._

A loud crash suddenly tore through the manor and the frame of the infrastructure shook ominously. Bruce shields his face as scraps of wood and plaster flew everywhere. When the dust clears, a lone figure with glowing red eyes emerges from the wreckage.

Superman just tore a hole in his mansion.

 

* * *

 

The alpha flies like he’s been possessed by a demon.

Thoughts race through his mind at the idea of Bruce fighting off vicious thugs in his weakened state. Each thought is darker and more twisted than the last, making him dread what he might find when he arrives at Wayne Manor.

He flew right through the walls directly to Bruce.  There is no time for doors or windows. The omega looks completely stunned to see him.

Clark growls as he takes in the sight of Bruce who looks and smells like he’s been attacked by a pack of alphas. The collar of his top is ripped and several buttons were missing, revealing too much skin for Clark’s liking. Bruce holds himself as if he’s in pain, and his mussed hair and torn clothing only makes him look more vulnerable. The smell of other alphas around his omega who’s in heat irritates Clark to no end. A primal instinct urges him end all threats to his mate.

A sound draws his attention to Penguin. He is a threat that needs to be eliminated.

“Superman wha-“ Penguin chokes as Superman grabs him by the throat. Lifting the vile creature up by the neck so that his feet no longer touch the ground, the alpha throws the man through the kitchen wall, welcoming the sounds of bones snapping that follows.

He’s about to fly to the filth to finish the job before a firm hand on his arm stops him.

“That’s enough, Superman.” Pale blue eyes stare at him. Bruce's worried face stops him dead in his tracks. Clark wraps his arms around his mate to breathe in Bruce’s soothing scent. He runs his hands all over Bruce's body, making sure that the omega is safe and whole. The alpha could feel the fog in his mind slowly clearing with the knowledge that his omega is safe. The rage inside of him is quelled, and he presses his body firmly against Bruce. Clark could feel himself getting harder the more he holds onto Bruce. His body reacting to the omega's pheromones, and reluctantly he grabs Bruce by the shoulders and holds him at arm's length.

“I came to make sure you that you are safe.” Clark’s voice is low and gruff. “But I’m not going to force you to be with me if you don’t want to. If you tell me to go, I can leave right now." He doesn't look away from Bruce's eyes. "But if you tell me to stay, _nothing_ could take me away from you.”

Bruce has done enough waiting around for this.

“Stay." Bruce cradles Clark's face in his hands. "Don’t go.”

That was all the encouragement Clark needed before he rained down kisses onto Bruce’s face, touching every bit of skin he could with his hands and lips, _tasting_ his omega.

“Clark.” Bruce moans. His heat is flaring up again, and with Clark here he could feel himself getting lost into the haze _want_ and _need._ He rubs his body onto his alpha, grinding his hard on against Clark’s. The pain he’s been feeling is dissipating and wisps of desire replaces its hold on Bruce.

“Not safe here,” Clark growls. The alpha rips off his cape and wraps it around Bruce. Using heat vision to fuse the ends of the cape together, he secures the cloth around the omega. This is the best he could do to cover his mate for now. Only Clark is allowed to see him like this. He grabs Bruce by the waist and the omega automatically wraps his legs around Clark. Bruce places his head in the crook of Clark’s neck, inhaling the aphrodisiac-like scent that is unique only to Clark. He is vaguely aware of the alpha flying them out of the gaping hole in the mansion.

“Where are you taking us?” Bruce asks as he traces the line of Clark’s neck with his mouth. Clark is flying as fast as he could with Bruce in his arms.

“Somewhere safe,” Clark says brusquely. At the speed they’re flying, most of Bruce's distracting scent is lost in the wind. Clark could see their destination clearly in his mind's eye.

“I want you now.” Bruce whines and palms the alpha through his uniform, stroking the engorged cock through the thin material.

They almost fall out of the sky.

“Stop that!" Clark hisses. Flying straight is difficult enough with his mate this close and in heat. "Do you want me to fuck you in the air?”

“Go right ahead. I dare you,” Bruce taunts and kisses the alpha vigorously on the lips. Clark closes his eyes, drawn into the enticing omega. He loses himself in Bruce for a moment, and when Clark opens his eyes again they almost fly straight into a building. A wild barrel roll saves them from head-on collision, and Bruce is laughing delightfully as Clark flies on his back with the omega on top. The red cape trails behind Bruce in the breeze.

“Hurry up, Clark” Bruce whimpers and grinds down on the alpha under him. Legs clamp tightly around Clark, Bruce plunges a hand into the waistband of his pants and touches himself. Ignoring his cock his fingers went immediately to the wet heat of his hole. He rubs the sensitive organ and moans as his flesh enveloped his slick fingers. Clark’s hands around him tighten as the omega trembles from the stimulation.

“We’re here.”

Clark is flying upright as he throws open the window of an apartment building with enough force to crack the glass.

He tosses the omega onto the bed and begins tearing off any shred clothing that separates them. Bruce is on his hands and knees, wiggling his hips towards the alpha.

" _Fucking do it already!_ "

Bruce cries out in pleasure as Clark enters him roughly and pounds him into the mattress.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you flew me to your apartment in Metropolis,” Bruce rasps. His vocal cords are still sore from last night. Clark's neighbors may or may not have banged on the walls several times telling them to stop. That did not slow them down for even a second.

“There was no safe place in Gotham,” Clark murmurs into the back of his neck, stroking the smooth expanse of Bruce’s stomach. Bruce has the feeling he's forgetting something important as he's lying in Clark's tiny bed with the alpha pressed up against him.

He sighs as he feels Clark move inside of him. They had fallen asleep still tied together.

“I need to call Dick. I’m sure he’s wondering where I went, and why there’s a giant hole in my mansion. Not to mention Penguin and his men.”

“Later,” Clark says, nibbling on the sensitive spot behind Bruce’s ear. “Send me the bill.”

“On a reporter’s salary? Right.” Bruce groans as he feels Clark grow inside of him.

“One more time before you talk to another man about more men.”

“You hardly need to be jealous of Dick.” Bruce says with a laugh.

"I know." Clark stills his hand to rest it warmly on Bruce's chest. "I just love you."

Bruce's heart fills with something achingly close to joy.

"I love you, too."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, long time no see! Much appreciation to my lovely commenters in the last chapter: Evilpixie, Mesonoxian, me, ochoacruz22, Dee, superbatbrat69, Jeanne, Monkeyrox, Shala Lois, Queenofshire405.
> 
> It totally makes me uber happy to see you guys excited about this fic ^^ and I love hearing feedback on what you like.
> 
> To me about the thing that you asked, spoilers in the end notes if you are just dying to know before reading the chapter.

By the time Jim Gordon arrives to the scene of the crime, Batman has already neatly rounded up Penguin’s goons.

“What happened here?” Gordon asks the masked hero, taking in the sight of all wreckage on Wayne estate. An anonymous phone call alerted the GCPD that suspicious men were seen in the vicinity.

“Penguin attacked Bruce Wayne’s home tonight” Batman’s gravelly voice informs the commissioner. “Apparently, he was behind Scarecrow’s attempt in scaring Wayne off the housing project. Came here to do the job right himself.” Gordon nods as he takes in the sight of Oswald Cobblepot getting strapped onto a stretcher by the EMT. Judging from his head wounds and incoherent noises, a concussion seems highly probably.

Penguin isn’t going to be in any condition to give a comprehensible testimony soon.

“Where is Mr. Wayne now?” Gordon asks, surveying the area and toeing pieces of crumbling plaster by his foot. Most of the damages appear centralized to where the outer wall was broken. Judging by where most of the debris landed, it was broken in from the outside.

“He’s been taken to a safe location.”

Gordon takes Batman's response in stride. Over the years, Batman’s involvement with the police has gone through drastic changes; Gordon had gone from hunting down the vigilante like he was no better than a common criminal to working side by side with the celebrated hero. Between the GCPD and Batman, their current collaborative effort to keep the criminals off the streets has cause Gotham to see its lowest crime rates in years.

“And how did he manage to escape his attackers?”

“After numerous attempts on his life, Wayne seems to have gained some skills in getting out of trouble by the skin of his teeth. His testimony will have to be taken later since he’s currently in heat.” Jim Gordon grimaces. His men were already making notes of the damaged property and dragging the suspects to the squad car. The lights on the ambulance flashes as it begins heading out, taking Cobblepot away to the nearest hospital.

He mentally makes a list of questions in his mind and asks the one that stood out the most.

“This seems a little excessive even for you.” Gordon gestures towards the Penguin-shaped hole in the kitchen wall.

“Penguin was unlucky to catch the attention of Superman. He got here before I did and couldn’t resist helping out an omega in distress.”

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

 

* * *

 

The cave elevator chimes as it brings a familiar guest to the cave.

“It’s uncanny how well you can mimic him,” Barbara says as Batman exits the elevator. Tim and Conner stand in the back of the cave, fawning over the sleek exterior of the batmobile. They largely ignore Batman's return, and faintly he hears Tim explaining the mechanics behind the car’s system that allows it to make sharp turns without flipping over.

“I’ve studied him for a long time” Dick says holding out his arms. The batsuit is almost a perfect fit. Bruce is only a few inches taller. “His speech, his mannerisms.” The beta presses a button near his throat, turning on the voice disruptor. “But this does come in handy,” Batman’s iconic voice growls at the redhead.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Barbara smirks as she rolls her wheelchair over to him.

“As if you aren’t entertained by the way things turned out,” Dick says grinning at the female beta with glasses. To be able to joke with her like this in the cave feels like a dream sometimes.

After Joker’s attack, Babs was devastated. She had gone through a state of depression when she found out she could no longer walk. The bright girl he once knew had shut herself off from the rest of the world and would no longer talk to the people who were once closest to her. Countless times he had knocked on her window at night and countless times she had turned him away. Finally, his persistence won her over and she opened her window to him, even if it was only to scold him for annoying her neighbors.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending more time in Gotham,” Barbara says, stopping in front of him and looking up with clever eyes, the edge of her lips curl faintly. “I thought you couldn’t wait to get away and leave the nest, so to speak.”

Even the in the dim cave lighting, she draws his attention with her fiery locks of red hair. It seems almost absurd to think that just a few months ago she had been a shadow of her former self. To see her be reborn like a phoenix that had risen from its ashes had made him happier than he could imagine.

“Tim is doing pretty well with leading the Titans on missions. I figured I could take a little break.”

The sound of the batmobile opening up draws their attention. They turn to see the alpha motioning Conner into the driver’s seat of the batmobile. That is not going to end well.

“You, take a break? Never thought I’d hear you say that,” Barbara says, keeping her eye on the recipe for impending disaster.

“No matter how far a bird flies away, it always returns to its nest.” He glances at her face, wanting to see her reaction. “Besides, I miss us working together.”

She turns her head swiftly, appearing startled and uncertain at his words. “Dick- “

The engine revs noisily, and they are unable to look away from each other for that second. The screeching tire noises break their concentration and they turn just in time to see Conner crash the batmobile into the cave wall.

It seems almost comical the way smoke begins to rise from the crumpled batmobile. At least the cave structure is sturdy enough to handle millions of dollars’ worth in damages.

“I’m okay!” Conner calls out from the heap of scrap metal, a lone arm waving among the smoking debris. The front wheels of the car spin on its axle absurdly. “But I don’t think the batmobile is.”

Tim gawks at the wreckage. It was literally _seconds_. How could he crash a car worth millions of dollars that fast? He didn’t even make it out of the cave!

Dick walks over to Tim and pats the horrified alpha on the back. “You’re going to have to explain this to him when he gets back.”

Barbara hides a small smile.

There is never a dull moment with Dick around.

 

* * *

 

Lois Lane is pissed.

Honestly, would it be too much to call into the office? ‘I’m sorry, I have to save the world right now. Sorry I can’t come to the important meeting we’ve been planning for weeks to do with the insanely pompous head of Stane Pharmaceuticals. I owe you one, Lois’ would have been fine. Just because he’s Superman doesn’t mean his work is more important than hers. Okay so _maybe_ it is, but a heads up would have been nice. He didn’t even bother picking up his phone or sending a text message! He’s Superman! How long could it even take to type a single text message?!

The meeting was this morning, but she is still fuming as she headed out for her lunch break. An elderly man with a cane catches her eye as she walks towards a cafe near the Daily Planet.

Clark’s neighbor is marching down the street towards her looking grumpier than usual in his pea-color sweater tan slacks. She sees him sometimes since Clark’s apartment is so close work. Which is ironic since he didn't bother showing up to work today. The old man has a scowl on face as he opens his mouth.

“Don’t you kids have any shame these days? The youths today-” The old man shakes his head. “You and that boyfriend need to be more mindful of those around you! And keep the noise down while other people are trying to sleep!”

“Mr. Peterson, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the incessant thumping on my wall last night!” The old man grumbles.

Lois feels the blood rushing up to her face.

There better be a darn good explanation for this.

 

* * *

 

A loud knock on the door wakes Bruce up the second time today and he chooses to ignore it, keeping his eyes closed. The morning sex had staved off his heat momentarily and he was relishing the brief moments of tranquility. Events of the previous night play back in his mind in out of order clips. The knocking continues furiously and Clark shifts next to him, causing the bed springs to creak.

“If you ignore it, they’ll go away eventually,” Bruce mumbles, sounding sleepier than he really is. His current position of being draped over Clark means that if Clark moves, he would have to move.

“This will only take a second” Clark says, running his fingers through Bruce’s hair fondly for a few seconds before sliding out from under Bruce. He grabs the nearest shirt he could find and smiles as he sees Bruce rolls over to Clark’s side, stretching out his limbs and nuzzling his pillow while the sheets covering most of his body save a bare shoulder. Perhaps Clark should invest in a bigger bed so that Bruce wouldn’t have to practically be on top of Clark for them both to fit. Not that the he minds the proximity, but Bruce is used to a larger, more luxurious bed, and he wants his omega to be as comfortable as possible.

Slipping on a tee shirt and shorts, Clark closes one door to open another.

“Hi Lois,” he says sheepishly, recalling that he might have missed an important meeting.

The dark-haired beta looks up at him annoyed. “Unbelievable,” she says as she catches a whiff of the lingering scent of sex still on his skin. If the distance between them was greater, he might have gotten away with it. “You were having sex in your apartment this whole time while I was working and covering up for you at the office.” She glares at him before barging inside, refusing to make a scene in a public area lest she be reprimanded for that too.

Clark hesitantly closes the front door behind her.

“I thought you were doing Justice League stuff- Jesus this whole place smells like sex,” she says loudly while checking out his apartment. “Did you try to christen every flat surface with your omega girlfriend?”

“No?” Clark rubs the nape of his neck. At least he closed his bedroom door so that the two can’t see each other. Bruce must have heard Lois by now.

“I understand if your girlfriend is in heat Clark,” Lois says, catching him steal a look towards his bedroom. “But next time try calling ahead. What you did was unprofessional.”

“I'm sorry. I'll call you next time,” Clark says swiftly, wanting the conversation to end as soon as possible.

“Did you know that your neighbor, Mr. Peterson, scolded me in the street today?" The beta continues, still not satisfied with his apology. "He had the gall to yell at _me_ about _your_ sex life!”

“Um Lois-“

“Didn’t he notice that I haven’t been to your place in months? He should be complaining to you, not me.”

The bedroom door opens.

 

* * *

 

Clark said that he would be back in a second.

A second.

Of course it’s just an idiom, but he did not say that he was going to invite the person interrupting their morning afterglow inside. Granted it was probably afternoon by now. Bruce pulls the blanket over his head to block off the blinding sun streaming in from Clark’s window. He would place his bed where the sunlight can hit his face directly every morning.

Clark’s low timbre and another distinctly pitched and animated voice reverberates through the thin walls of the apartment.

He pulls the covers off his head.

Lois Lane is on the other side of the door _with Clark_. Lois and Clark are _together_ in Clark's apartment.

Something inside of Bruce tightens.

He feels irrational for worrying about them since they're not going to do anything with him here. They broke up already. Usually, he enjoys the company of the female beta with her sharp wit and even sharper tongue. She's one of the few people who knows Batman’s true identity after all. But her presence here feels…invasive. He feels odd lying naked in Clark’s bed while the two were outside talking. He chalks it up to the animalistic urges that his hind brain calls up every month. He has nothing to hide. Clark and Lois are just friends now. He is the one with Clark, so he shouldn’t be the one feeling like the mistress hiding in the bedroom while the wife of the husband comes home unexpectedly.

He knows what he’s feeling is unreasonable. Clark should be able to talk to his ex-girlfriend if he wants to. But his heart is telling him that his _mate_ is out of eyesight and what if something _happens_? He hates how uneasy this all makes him feel. Clark had told him he loves him a few hours ago and they are all adults after all. The possessive feelings clawing at his chest is childish, juvenile.

He blames his heat and the chemicals in his brains. Tossing the blanket aside, Bruce sits up.

He’s not going to sit in room and wait quietly for his alpha to return like some kept omega. He’s the Batman. He’s the man with no fear. He will not hide from his alpha’s ex-girlfriend! Clark and Lois broke up already, and Clark chose to be with him. He chose _him_ of all people.

He quickly gets out of bed and begins rummaging for clothes in Clark’s drawers. _This will have to do,_ he thinks looking down at the oversized white shirt and grey drawstring pants. Clark was just a little bigger than him.

Quickly putting on the clothes, he runs his fingers through his hair and hopes he doesn’t look too debauched.

_Be cool, calm, and confident._

Bruce walks out nonchalantly to join the not-couple.

Lois’s jaw drops as she catches the sight of Bruce Wayne possibly at his most informal. Even with his hair slightly unkempt and his clothes look suspiciously like Clark's, but the omega still carries himself like royalty dressed in the finest garments. The shock on her face quickly melts into a mischievous smile. Her initial astonishment is surpassed by the same thrill she feels when she discovers a juicy secret.

”So that’s why you’ve been distracted at work,” Lois says giving Clark an impressed expression. “Way to go, Smallville. I knew there was something fishy when you were so adamant about going to Gotham for that story.” Clark looks from Lois to Bruce bewildered by the turn of events. Lois's grin was unnerving. 

The beta begins again, “Bruce, I thought the rumors between him and Oliver Queen was a little too good to be true. Even with all the pictures and discussions of how close you two have been working together, and how it was only inevitable for you to turn from childhood friends to lover.” Clark frowns at the mention of the Queen heir.

“The media has a lot of speculations about my private life, but it’s just that. Speculations. I keep my private life, private,” Bruce says coolly, emphasizing the last word to hint at the beta. His voice has mostly returned.

“I can see when I’m intruding,” Lois says catching onto the hint without fail. Walking towards the door, she adds “please try to keep it down for the neighbors next time, I rather not be admonished in the middle of the streets again.”

With the final words, the beta walks out the apartment immensely more amused than when she had arrived.

Clark locks the door behind Lois, and when he turns around Bruce is there grabbing him by his shirt and kissing him as if he wants to devour all of Clark’s essence.

The alpha tries to move Bruce back towards the bedroom, but the he pushes him back against the door, unwilling to budge and disrupt the kiss.

He’s with Clark.

He angles his head so that their mouths fit together better. A warmth flushes over his body, and he _wants_.

_He wants this man. He wants Clark._

Bruce never thought much about kissing before. It was just a simple means to an end. He had no qualms kissing strangers, but kissing Clark is like flying, soaring. Sure there were studies done on how the act of osculation stimulates pleasure regions in the brain that promote attachment, and for the most part Bruce thought it was a complete waste of money. But here he is, swept away in a myriad of emotions and light that that makes him feel like he’s drowning in exhilarating jubilation.

He grasps at the alpha’s clothing and moves to kiss his neck sensuously.

A chuckle distracts him and he looks to see Clark grinning.

“It’s cute how you got jealous.”

Bruce could easily blame the blood creeping to his face to be due to arousal.

“I was not jealous. You were taking too long,” Bruce grumbles.

“And now you’re blushing,” Clark teases and pecks him on the cheek. Bruce chooses to ignore the ridiculous alpha’s comment and kisses him roughly instead to shut him up.

Bruce’s hands are tangled in Clark’s hair when a stray thought briefly crosses his mind and he abruptly breaks the kiss.

Cold uncertainty washes over him, dampening his arousal.

“Clark I don’t have my birth control pills with me.”

“I have condoms,” the alpha says, planting kisses along Bruce’s jawline and reaching down to place his hands on the curve of the omega’s ass, squeezing the firm buttocks. Bruce had forgone any underwear in his haste and the knowledge turns Clark on even more than he thought possible.

“No, I didn’t take any yesterday either,” Bruce says tentatively, stilling all movements. Clark follows Bruce’s lead and pauses his groping, focusing instead on Bruce’s face.

“You missed one day.” Bruce nods solemnly in Clark’s embrace. The slight downward curve on the corner of his mouth and the small wrinkle in his brows give away his inner turmoil. “Is it really that big of a deal?” Clark asks softly, moving his hands up to clasp loosely around the small of Bruce’s back. “You take it almost every day.”

“There’s a reason why I have to take it every day. The drug doesn’t stay in my system very long.”

“So we’ve been having unprotected sex all of last night?” Clark asks in a mystified tone.

“Last night, this morning, half an hour ago...”Bruce lists out. He knew he was forgetting something. He had been so stupid! Forgetting everything the moment Clark burst into his house. The moment he saw the familiar red and blue. He even has Alfred and alarms on his phone reminding him every now and then, but neither are here. He doesn’t even have his own clothes with him! Whatever he had worn over to Clark’s place is now pieces of fabric at the foot of Clark’s bed. How could he be so careless? How could he lower his guard that much? _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

“Would it help if I go to your place to get the pills now?”

Bruce nods stiffly. “If I’m already…then it’s not going to do anything. But if not, then it’ll help me stay on cycle.” Bruce says certainly as if reassuring himself more than Clark. Motioning towards his stomach, “Can you tell if…”

Clark looks at Bruce’s abdomen and shakes his head.

“It’s too early to tell.”

The mood has already died down with the weight of their current predicament.

“Do you need me to pick up some also pick up some Plan B? Just in case…”

Bruce shakes his head. “That’s not necessary. If I take the doses I missed, it should put me back on cycle. Plan B contains the same active ingredients that my pills do.”

Clark nods and disappears in a blur, flying out his bedroom window.

Bruce is uncertain on how to proceed. He’s always been the one who thinks ahead, who is always prepared for whatever situation that might come. He has dozens of contingency plans set up in case world-ending events occur, but this… He’s thought about it of course. It would be foolish not to think of what would happen if contraceptives fail one day. But he barely admitted his feelings for Clark this morning and now-

Clark is back in full Superman regalia.

The drugs sit innocuously on the table.

“You should eat.” Clark says, pulling Bruce out of his head. “I’ll cook some food for us.” Bruce stands still in the living room and watches the alpha change his clothes in a blur. Seeing Clark dressed in blue boxers and a white sleeveless shirt relaxes a knot he didn't realize was forming in his chest. His hair was still tousled, and without the glasses it could be that they both just woke up on any other day.

Clark heads towards the fridge and pulls out a carton of eggs and sets it on the counter. Grabbing a frying pan from the dish rack, he sets it on the stove and turns on the stove. Bruce stares at Clark’s broad back as the alpha cracks a few eggs, muscles flexing in a way that makes Bruce want to touch.

_Why the hell is he so calm?_

“No matter what happens, Bruce, I’ll be there,” Clark says without turning his back. “I don’t make it a habit to run at the first sign of trouble. We don’t even know if Kryptonian genes are compatible with human genes to begin with.”

Bruce presses his lips together. _So Clark thought about it before._ Of course he would. Growing up in such a warm and loving environment with the Kents, he knows Clark would have wanted to have something similar with his significant other one day. The question of whether or not he was genetically viable must have been weighing on his mind for a while now.

“Come on,” Clark says with a hand on his shoulder. Bruce looks at sincere blue eyes and lets the alpha guide him to the table.

The smell of savory bacon, eggs, and toast smell heavenly and Bruce finds himself hungry for this meal he didn’t plan to have. He digs in earnestly and is halfway through his eggs before he realizes Clark is watching him eat.

He tries to ignore the alpha’s gaze, but slowly he grows more self-conscious. Usually Clark isn't this intrigued with what Bruce puts in his mouth, unless it's not food.

Having the alpha focus on him while he eat is…strange. Dark blue eyes zone in on mouth and throat with each chew and swallow. Having the alpha try to feed him is stranger. Bruce looks down skeptically at the forkful of scrambled eggs and humors the alpha by wrapping his lips around the offering and chewing it slowly even though he has his own plate to finish. The alpha beams at and him eats another forkful himself with the same fork where Bruce’s mouth had previously touched.

The meal strangely brings everything to a normalcy, and it almost feels like another morning with Clark during his other heats.

The offering of food probably has something to do with some photographers taking pictures of Oliver eating out of Bruce’s hand at the gala. They caused quite a bit of a stir at the event, but Bruce didn’t care to dismiss or confirm the rumors inspired by several well timed photographs. **_Bruce Wayne’s New Beau_** headlines read with the cover of the two of them together splashed across several notorious entertainment magazines and even some business ones speculating more cooperation between Wayne Enterprise and Queen Consolidated in the future. It was only another drop to his promiscuous reputation and highlights more of his work to change Gotham.

Bruce stabs a glob of egg on his plate and points it at Clark’s direct. The alpha’s eyes lit up, and he happily complies with Bruce’s whim to reciprocate.

Clark is so easy to please sometimes.

 

* * *

 

Gotham is abnormally quiet the past week. With Joker, Ivy, Scarecrow, and Penguin in lockup, the criminals are being more cautious in their movements. They don’t want to draw the attention of the dark knight after all.

Batman easily stops a few home invasions and several muggings without breaking a sweat, and all in all it was a good week for the most dangerous city in America.

Bruce Wayne however, has been busy giving police statements, renovating his house, and working almost full time at his office in Wayne Enterprise. With the largest threat to his project indispose, construction and rebuilding the slums of Gotham are going full speed ahead. He already has several new ideas that he wants to implement on the newly remade districts that will be a step forward towards utilizing cheap and efficient clean energy.

There has been some outcry against his plans to remodel the destitute neighborhoods of Gotham, claiming that he is driving people away from their homes and that his motives are purely for profit. He scoffs at the notion. If he was out solely for profit, there are plenty of other ideas that would be easier to implement. People are always going to fight against change, but he knows that what he is doing would be worth it in the end.

Clark too has been busy with work at the Daily Planet. Lois made sure of that and has been keeping the alpha inline until they caught up on several articles. Superman too has his hands full with Lobo’s recent visit to Metropolis. The crazy motorcycle-riding bounty hunter seems to be on the lookout for some renegade extraterrestrials in Clark's city, and other than a few short phone calls during their breaks, they have been unable to meet up since Bruce left Clark's place discreetly with the help of Alfred.

Finally, some free time has opened up for tonight and they have a bet going on.

“Did you know that Conner crashed the batmobile? Tim thought it was a good idea to give him the green light on a test drive.”

Clark whistles. “I’m not surprised. Conner doesn’t even have his license yet.” The alpha muses. “Care to make a wager?”

“On what?”

“Their reactions. We can give them a mission to go to Toyman to recruit him onto our side, but we don’t explain why we are meeting up with them. I bet that their first reaction will be that they did something wrong.”

“You’re on.” Bruce smirks; it would be interesting to toy with the kids a little.

 

* * *

 

Superboy and Red Robin are already waiting on the rooftop of the assigned meeting place when Batman arrives

“Your message didn’t say what this is all about,” Tim says.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” Superboy narrows his eyes at the dark knight.

“Oh my god you’re pregnant,” Conner says eyes widen with disbelief.

Any thought that was running through Bruce’s head immediately crashes and burns at Superboy’s words. He forgets how to breathe, how to react. Everything had gone still, but not. He feels deafened to everything around but can still hear Red Robin calling out to him faintly.

Batman turns and jumps off the rooftop, leaving the two befuddled teenage heroes without an explanation.

_Shitshitshit._

He should have known avoiding the issue never helped anything, but it was just too tempting. Perhaps if had done tests immediately after came back to Gotham he wouldn’t be in such a state of shock now. What if Superboy had been mistaken? Batman hops onto the batcycle parked next to the building and speeds off to find an empty place. Somewhere he could change into the civilian clothing stashed underneath the seat of the bike is ideal.

This is why he prefers the batmobile. It can carry so much more and is practically a mobile changing room.

Stashing the bike behind a dumpster and emerging from the dead end alleyway, he makes a beeline for the nearest convenience store.

Dressed in a large hoodie and baseball cap that covers most of his face, he rushes into the gas station. The boy manning the twenty-four hour store jerks awake as the chiming on the door alerts him of a customer. Bruce heads straight for the pharmacy section. Grabbing several pink and boxes and some bottles of water in an afterthought, he heads straight to the register.

He throws a hundred dollar bill at the kid before leaving in a rush with his merchandise. He doesn't have time to wait for change or witness the startled expression on the teen's face.

He chugs the bottle of water while driving back to his mansion, breaking nearly all the speed limits and traffic laws. He could do the tests himself, the cave is well equipped, but this is faster, and fast result is what he needs right now.

He needs to see this for himself.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah I’m sure.”

“Really, really sure?” Superboy makes an impassive face at Red Robin. Who is the one with superpowers here? Before he says another word, red and blue catches his eyes.

“Sorry I’m late,” Superman says floating down to where Red Robin and Superboy are standing. “There were these asteroids heading straight for earth and the military needed me to knock them out of orbit.” The boys are unusually quiet at his explanation. “Where’s Batman?” He had a reason to be late, but Batman is typically punctual.

“He left. Something came up.” Superman gives them both questioning looks. Tim mentally rolls his eyes at Conner’s choice in vague wording.

“We know about the baby,” Tim says flatly. Superman’s stunned expression is not what Tim expected to see.

Clark disappears in less than a second after the news.

“I believe we can assume that that is not the message they were planning on telling us,” Conner says plainly.

“Definitely,” Tim agrees.

 

* * *

 

All five tests were positive.

All five _fucking_ tests were _positive._

He couldn’t even pretend that maybe Superboy’s powers were malfunctioning.

Bruce stares at all five different sticks laid parallel on the bathroom counter. Pregnancy tests are known to be quick and highly sensitive, but the sensitivity of the tests leads to possibility of false positives. Still, it’s hard to deny all the blue stripes, pink stripes, and digital lettering that reads ‘pregnant’.

This is really happening.

There is a life inside of him.

Placing a hand low on his abdomen, the smooth muscles flex underneath his fingertips. It still feels the same, but at the same time he knows it is not.

He discards the tests and empty boxes in the trash receptacle and opens the bathroom door to see Superman hovering expectantly.

Of course Superman would be here. He has an impeccable knack for knowing just when to show up.

Clark’s earnest face is only another confirmation to the reality of the situation.

Bruce walks past him and sits on the edge of his bed, clasping his hands together.  Clark sits next to him, shoulder-to-shoulder, side-to-side. The alpha’s warmth radiates through his civilian clothing, bringing Bruce a comfort that he would never admit out loud.

“Are you going to get rid of it?” Clark asks, carefully keeping his tone neutral to give none of his own feelings away. Bruce’s body is his own, and he cares too much for the omega to force him into anything he doesn’t want.

Bruce considers the option briefly but finds the idea makes him uncomfortable in his own skin.

“No,” Bruce says after a pause. “It’s a life, Clark. I can’t take it away after I created it just because I didn’t prepare for it.” He always made a point to never kill as Batman, to never take away a life. If he does that, it would stand against everything he’s ever believed in. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself. “I want to keep this child.” Bruce turns to look at Clark, feeling guilty and selfish for wanting to keep the life he unwittingly conceived. “Even if this child grows up and is endangered by the enemies I’ve made, even if he or she has a harder life than any other child, I will protect it.” The alpha’s face is painted in patterns of lights and shadows, his face holds an expression Bruce doesn’t want to read too deeply into. “I know you said you’ll be there for me, but you don’t have to. This will change a lot of things between us. I don’t want it to be something that chains you to me. You can still leave.”

Clark frowns, hurt that Bruce thinks he can walk away so easily after everything. How could Bruce think that he would not want everything that Bruce is willing to give him?

“I’m sure you know that I’m a big family person,” Clark says taking Bruce's hands and holding it firmly in his lap. “Living with ma and pa on the farm, I used to dream that one day my mate and I will start our own happy family. Sure this is unexpected and we never really talked about it before, but this could be a chance for the both of us to have something more. I’ll never be able to have a ‘normal’ family, Bruce, because I am not normal. But I want to be there for you, not out of any moral duties, but as someone who loves you,” Clark says sincerely.

Bruce presses his lips together.

If they have this child together, what would become of them? Is it really that simple to just say yes?

He briefly entertain the thoughts of juggling a child, crime fighting, and Wayne Enterprises, but finds himself unable to imagine what it would be like. Dick was already eight years old by the time he came into Bruce’s care, largely self-sufficient on his own. A baby would be completely helpless, defenseless.

But if Clark is with him…maybe they can work something out.

Do the impossible.

“There’s actually another heartbeat,” Clark says cautiously, breaking Bruce's train of thought.

Bruce nods his head. “There’s mine and then there’s the...fetus.”

“No.” Bruce frowns at the alpha in front of him. “There’s your heartbeat…and then there’s two more.”

Bruce stands up abruptly.

“You got me pregnant twice?!” he shouts, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. Bruce is barely considering the idea of having a child, and now Clark is telling him he’s going to have another one?! What is he going to do with two?

Bruce pulls away from Clark and paces in front of the fireplace, arms folded across his chest. “You are unbelievable. I can’t believe I let you come in me,” he mutters. That’s twice the vulnerabilities he’s going to have. That’s another life on his hands.

“I always come in you. You like it when I come in you,” Clark says weakly.

“You’re not helping, Clark,” Bruce humorlessly, irritation rising out of nowhere. “It’s your fault that I didn’t have my pills with me because you flew me to your damn apartment in the middle of my heat.” Bruce knows that he is being unfair lashing out at Clark, but the words keep coming out. He’s too blindsided with the news of being pregnant with _twins._

“I wasn’t thinking about that when I saved you,” Clark offers.

“Of course you weren’t thinking about that,” Bruce says exasperatedly. The irritation and misplaced anger covers up the too near feeling of panic. _He didn’t prepare for this_ his head screams _._ “I didn’t need you to save me. I had everything under control. You always jump straight into everything without thinking ahead!” Each statement grew louder than the last.

“I’m sorry if I was concerned for your safety. This isn’t all my fault you know,” Clark says, riled up at the insults. Even he has his limits. “Who was screaming ‘fuck me, fuck me’ in my bed?” Bruce freezes and clenches his hands into fists, mortified that Clark brought up the asinine things said in the moments of passion.

“I was in heat! Of course I wanted you to fuck me. What I don’t remember asking is for you to act like a neanderthal and take me back to your cave.” Clark’s cheeks reddened. How was he supposed to explain to Bruce that instinctively he felt Gotham was too dangerous for him, the city that has been under his protection for years now? How was Clark supposed to explain that he only wanted to take Bruce to a place that he knows for sure is safe? Bruce would be offended and think that Clark saw him incapable of taking care of himself.

A noise alerts him that they are not alone.

“Do you really want to have this conversation now? In front of them?” Clark asks hotly, gesturing to the open door of the room. Bruce quickly turns his head.

Conner and Tim are peeking in from the hallway. Catching Bruce’s eyes, they both duck out of sight and disappear.

Bruce lets out a disgruntled noise. The anger dissipating nearly as swiftly as it had came, anxiousness taking its place.

“What am I going to do with twins?” Bruce says, loosening and tightening his fists, frustration evident in his voice.

Life keeps throwing him one curveball after another.

“We’ll take things slowly,” Clark says, taking Bruce by the shoulders. “One day at a time. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but no matter what obstacles come along, I know that we can overcome it together.”

Bruce meets Clark’s heartfelt gaze. He really means it. This idiot. His idiot.

“We are in this situation in the first place because we were together.”

Clark cracks a smile. At least Bruce can still see the humor in the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes it's mpreg. Haha. I confess that I was pretty much working towards this angle from the beginning. I just didn't put the tag up because I wasn't sure if I would get this far, but I did! I'll add the tag later since I like to keep my readers on their toes for a bit. Sorry if mpreg isn't your thing. You can just pretend the story ends at chapter 8.
> 
> For those of you okay with it, the adventure continues!
> 
> Lastly, here's my tumblr http://fujimore.tumblr.com/ if you want to contact me about stuff. I am not accepting prompts right now since I have several ideas of my own sitting on the back burner and I want to focus on this fic.
> 
> Until next time!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's been a while! I would like to thank Queenofshire405, Dragon717, Evilpixie, Kailuuna, jada121, consulting_avenger, BBnovoa, Mesonoxian, Ty Nash, Liz , and AngeDeLaMisericorde for commenting on the last chapter.

Bruce’s face is pinched like the time he twisted his ankle and tried to run it off. He could be grim at times to those who don't know him well, but it takes a lot to make Batman uncomfortable.

“There is something I need you to do for me, Dick. I’m sure you heard about my current...condition from Tim.” Dick nods, trying to keep from breaking into a grin but failing spectacularly. When Tim had interrupted his dinner with Babs at her house, he was slightly annoyed but also intrigued as to what could have caused the young alpha to be in such a dazed state. The younger male had wordlessly joined their meal in full costume and nibbled silently on some salad for a good ten minutes before casually opening with " _So Bruce is pregnant..._ "

“There will come a time when I am no longer able to be Batman and I need you to carry on when that happens.” Bruce continues, looking darker by the minute.

“Yeah I can cover for you while you’re on maternity leave,” Dick says nonchalantly with a glint in his eye. Bruce flinches microscopically over the word _maternity_ and that was all the confirmation that Dick needed. It was so brief that if he wasn't looking for it, he might have missed it entirely.

“...You’ve been waiting to say that haven’t you?”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” Dick says cheekily. This was just too good to pass up! Of all the times he gruffly reminded Dick and Tim to be careful and cautious, Bruce had just basically become the shining example of "What Not to Do". He loves it when he's able to hold proof of Bruce's contradictory actions over his head.

“Don’t think that I don’t know the four of you all have a hand all of this either," Bruce says, immediately taking the conversation in a new direction. "There was significant time difference between Clayface’s attack and Penguin’s attack that night. You didn't need to contact Superman at all.”

“So I called Clark to tell him you were in heat," Dick says callously. "If the both of you weren’t so determined to drag it out and make everyone uncomfortable with all the tension between you two, I might have let it go. Besides, I didn’t expect his sperm to be that powerful.” Bruce gives Dick and unamused expression which quickly turns serious.

“Always wear a condom, Dick. No matter what the other person says.”

“I do.”

“Who- never mind," Bruce seems rattled that his warnings came a bit too late. "I don’t want to know.”

“It’s a little late to give me ‘the talk’ Bruce, but I appreciate the effort. Alfred kind of gave me the talk while I was going through puberty.”

Bruce raises his eyebrows. “He did?” Dick nods.

“How was it?”

“Educational, but super uncomfortable. I don’t think there’s any way around that though.”

So it was pretty much how Bruce remembers it. Alfred's graphic warnings of all the sexually transmitted diseases and consequences of getting pregnant at an early age had put him off sex for a few years. But the talk wasn't entirely so formal. He was told to be careful of who he chooses to be with and that he should have sex when he’s ready, not when his partner thinks he’s ready. Bruce is grateful for moments like those where he's reminded that Alfred is always looking out for him.

“Maybe you can give the talk to Tim?" Dicks voice brings him back to the conversation at hand. "He seems to be getting close to Cassie these days. It’ll be good practice.”

“I’ll think about it,” Bruce says thoughtfully, wondering if he could somehow give the same type of support he's received at that age.

 

* * *

 

Despite how comfortable he had become with Alfred over the years, telling him the news was almost as nerve wracking as facing Ra's Al Ghul for the first time. Dealing with psychopaths were one thing, but _immortal_ psychopaths? That had been a whole new ballgame. It has been years since he felt like a child, but in front of the man who has known him his whole life, the walls he built up over the years were as good as non-existent.

Alfred was still miffed over Bruce pushing him away on such a short notice, but his eyes soften once he heard the news. This was not what he expected when he came back from the mandatory impromptu "vacation" that came accompanied with knockout tea and pre-packed suitcases.

"Master Bruce, I always wanted you to have a special someone in your life one day," Alfred says gently. "Someone whom you can confide to and depend on."

"I confide to and depend on you, Alfred" Bruce says earnestly at the beta. He didn't mean to push Alfred away, but he just needed some time to himself.

"I meant someone who is closer to your age, a true life partner if you will. After all, I am not as young as I once was and it would sadden me greatly if you isolated yourself away from the world after I am gone. I am glad that Master Kent has caught your eye."

Bruce frowns. He hates it when Alfred talks about his own mortality. Bruce has come to prepare for himself and set protocols should his time come, but thinking about losing his oldest friend is somehow infinitely more unbearable. Alfred always knew just what to say to make Bruce feel remorseful.

"I- I still need you, Alfred," Bruce says solemnly. The beta's jaw dropped ever so slightly before decorum reminds him to close it. Bruce has come a long way since proclaiming that he does not need to depend on anyone in his life. Perhaps Clark Kent's influence has forced Bruce to be more open to his own feelings. Alfred smiles. It seems that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

"I should hope that he doesn’t replace me. I like to think that no one knows how to keep Wayne Manor spotless like I do." The tenseness in Bruce's shoulders loosens. "Not to mention that I leave for a bit and I come back to not one but two new addition to the family."

Bruce looks away abashedly.

"At least you are now a fully grown adult" Alfred says lightly. "Goodness, I shudder to think if this happened when you were still a minor."

Bruce smiles at Alfred. "I don't think that is possible with the way you were constantly hovering anytime I had someone come over." Memories of interrupted study sessions with untimely refreshments rose up. Alfred had intentionally left the door wide open each time and reminded Bruce and his company that he is always nearby should they need anything.

"Master Bruce, forgive me, but some adolescent boys are simply beastly and not at all a proper gentlemen. At that age, higher brain functions tend to lose out to lower ones," Alfred says seriously as if recalling a particular unpleasant memory. "I remember the time you had that Jerome fellow over..."

Bruce gives a small smile when Alfred sinks into the familiar disapproving tone when he disapproves of one of Bruce's decisions.

 

* * *

 

"So what do you guys plan to do now?" Barbara asks the question that no other dares to ask.

Dick, Tim, Conner, and Kara all look at Bruce and Clark expectantly. They had all been called to meet in the Batcave and the youths are all dressed in full costume expecting a mission. The sight of the two Justice League members in plainclothes immediately alerted them that a mission wasn't why they were called upon.

"As you may have guessed, Clark and I have been having contact outside of Justice League business." Kara rolls her eyes at the understatement. Even she had heard of the rumors from all the way in Themyscera where Diana was training her. The warrior princess was quick to notice anything that affects the fighting tactics of her teammates, especially when Superman was more inclined to cover Batman even when he was not asked for and ended up being told off that he can handle himself just fine like he's always been on a team where everyone else has superpowers.

"There was no need to guess when Superman starts showing up even there were no bad guys around," Tim smirks.

"Clark and I are expecting twins and this will no doubt cause some changes to the way things are done currently." The supportive smiles and grins from the youths were almost too much for Bruce to handle. Clark's warm hand on his shoulder helped grounded him.

"Oh yeah, Oliver knows you're Batman and I'm Superman now too," Clark says as if he just remembered that fact. Good thing the kids were here when he spilled the beans. He knows Bruce hates arguing in front of the kids.

Bruce turns sharply to Clark and gives him a look that says _we will talk about this later._ Turning back to the kids, Bruce reorients himself.

 "We've asked you here today because words will soon spread about this and we have some contingency plans..."

 

* * *

 

_"So have you told your parents about this yet, Clark?"_

_"No, not yet." Clark says softly to Kara. "I don't to push him into something he isn't ready for with everything that's going on."_

_"Do your parents at least know you two are together?"_

_"They know that I broke up with Lois and that I'm currently seeing someone, but I haven't told them who yet." Kara crosses her arms. Batman's nature causes him to keep secrets like there's no tomorrow and to keep everyone at a distance while Clark is extremely close to his foster parents. Therein might lie some friction along the way, but she has hope that they are both willing to compromise working things out together. Granted their live tend to be unpredictable at times..._

_"What about your secret identity, Clark? You know that the media is going to hound him about who the father is when they find out." Clark bites his lower lip._

_"I want to be there for my kids. I don't want them to have to hide who their father is."_

_"Your quiet life as Clark Kent won't be so quiet anymore."_

_"I know," Clark smiles at Kara, "but I think it's worth it."_

Bruce pauses the video. The good thing about having them meet on his grounds is that he never misses a conversation. He has cameras everywhere and he doubts anyone but he knows where they _all_ are.

He saw Kara pulled Clark over to the side and he's still too used to listening in rather than directly ask Clark what they talked about. Kara had seemed a bit displease, but Clark didn't seem overly concern.

Johnathan and Martha Kent are kind people who knew how to keep a secret. After all, they did keep Superman's identity a secret for ten odd years. On the few occasions when the Justice League came over, the Kents were extremely welcoming, especially considering that time Darkseid had destroyed their house entirely in the process of getting to Kara. The Justice League had even stayed to help them rebuild their home afterwards with materials donated by Wayne Enterprises as part of their philanthropic endeavor in helping civilians get back on their feet after supervillain attacks.

They seem to act normal enough around his Batman persona, but he wonders if the idea of their son dating the Batman, or even Bruce Wayne is something they are willing to swallow. His reputation as either isn't exactly what people look for when they look at prospective mates for their children.

The clink of a teacup set next to him brings Bruce out of his reverie.

"Master Bruce, I feel that I should remind you that the people who raise Superman to the man he is today will have broader views than a normal person. They won't be so petty as to judge solely base on rumors and hearsay."

"I guess I should meet them eventually if he plans to stick around," Bruce says wryly.

"I'm sure you'll make a delightful first impression, sir."

 

* * *

 

Bruce feels sick.

It's been two weeks since he and Clark talked to the kids and three weeks since Clark told Bruce he wants to be there for Bruce and that he doesn't have to go through this alone.

They worked out some plans on how to approach the situation, and came to an agreement that a public date between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne would be the best first step. Meanwhile, the kids had agreed to help them keep their identities as heroes far away as possible from their private lives.

It has also been one week since Bruce told Clark that he should formally meet his parents and let them know before the media does.

Clark had been surprised that Bruce was the one to bring up the elephant in the room, but the unbridled joy behind his eyes was undeniable.

He hopes he doesn't disappoint. The Kents, Clark, or even himself he's not sure. He's never had to do this before.

He recalls Martha and Johnathan Kent being a pleasant, aging beta couple who thanked the JL repeatedly for their efforts. They were nice enough to him as Batman, but how will they feel now about a billionaire playboy dating their son? What if they think that he’s just playing with their son’s feelings? His stomach churns at the thought. He typically doesn’t care about what others think of him, and his reputation as Bruce Wayne outside of the business and philanthropic aspect certainly reflect that. However, Clark’s parents have a very near and dear position in his heart, and Bruce wants their approval in his relationship with Clark because he knows it would make Clark happy.

He contemplates the different reactions he might garner, but the possibilities do nothing to ease the nauseating feeling in his gut.

"Are you ready?" Clark pokes his head into Bruce's bedroom. "Alfred has the plane ready and I already let my parents know that we were coming."

"I'm ready." Bruce is halfway out the door before he abruptly turns right around to empty his stomach in the toilet.

"Bruce, are you okay?" Clark rushes next to him kneeling in front of the toilet. The alpha’s warm hand on his back is a mild comfort as he gives a last dry heave with his head hung over the toilet. He lets Clark help him up, and Bruce has to make conscious effort to not brush away Clark's help. Clark just likes to help people and it doesn't say anything about his own capabilities. He flushes the toilet before going over to the sink to wash the sour taste of stomach acid from his mouth. "We can reschedule if you aren't feeling well. My parents will understand."

Bruce spits in the sink before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It’s just the hormone changes," Bruce mutters.

"Oh." Clark blinks owlishly. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing to be sorry about," Bruce dismisses, "let's go meet your parents."

 

* * *

 

The flight to Smallville is peaceful as Alfred flies the Wayne jet to the Kents farmhouse.

They just broke the sound barrier when he feels Clark’s hand rest over his fists on his lap.

“Relax. I’m sure my parents would love you and Alfred.”

“Everybody likes Alfred. They might have different thoughts about the playboy dating their son though.”

“I’m sure they can make their own judgments. They’re not some gullible, small-minded folks who believe everything the media says.”

“Shit- I didn’t mean it like that, Clark.” Bruce bites the inside of his lip. “I just don’t have a lot of good news surrounding my personal life.” He almost regrets playing a fool so well in the public eye.

“You are a successful businessman who has a multi-billion dollar company that dabbles in almost every area of life. You have an extensive network of charities and foundations for those less fortunate, and you are a single parent to two boys whom you adopted when they needed someone to look out for them.” So he has some redeemable qualities. Clark places a kiss on his temple. “I believe in you.”

Clark has an uncanny ability to make him feel better about himself.

“How are you in all of this?” Bruce looks at Clark. “Are you sure about coming out? I know how much you enjoy the anonymity of Clark Kent the journalist. If Clark Kent starts hanging around Bruce Wayne, then your simple life won’t be so simple anymore.”

“I want to be there for you and our children," Clark says firmly. "If being in the spotlight from time to time is what it takes, then I am more than willing. I don’t want there to be any ambiguity on who the father of the children is, and I want to be there for every moment.”

Even now, Clark's sincerity is almost too much sometimes and Bruce breaks eye-contact to lean on the alpha's shoulder. They've saved the world multiple times, surely they can handle this.

The change in velocity wakes Bruce up from the nap he doesn't remember taking on Clark's shoulder. Their hands were still clasp together.

Alfred had no problems parking the jet in the wide open fields on the Kent farmland. Fortunately, Bruce’s nausea has long passed during the three hour flight.

Martha and Johnathan Kent were already waiting expectantly for them as the jet door lowered.

“Ma! Pa!” Clark exclaims as he went to his parents to give them each a hearty hug.

Bruce trails behind with Alfred awkwardly.

“This is Bruce!” Clark says, smiling brilliantly.

“Hi Mrs. Kent, Mr. Kent,” Bruce says looking at each and giving a small smile.

“It’s so good to finally meet you, Bruce!” Martha exclaims. “Just call us Martha and Johnathan.” Bruce relaxes a little.

“This is Alfred.”

“A pleasure to meet you ma’am, sir.” Alfred greets the couple. They look a bit uncertain as they greet Alfred in return.

“Alfred has been with me for as long as I can remember and I consider him an important part of my family.”

Martha’s face softens as she realizes the implications. Alfred had been the one who had taken care of him after his parents died. "Let's go inside now," Martha says smiling and gesturing towards the house. "We want to hear more about you, Bruce. Clark hasn't been exactly generous with the details and we want to hear things from your side too."

The open expressions on the Kents's faces gives Bruce momentary pause. _These are definitely the people who raised Clark._

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly, Johnathan Kent and Alfred Pennyworth bonded easily over a couple of beers while their conversations flowed seamlessly.

"Oh my, it seems like they're already in their own little world," Martha Kent says amiable at the two men sitting on the porch, gazing out at the wide open Kansas fields.

Alfred's social skill were downright admirable and Bruce wish he felt as comfortable as the men look sitting with Clark on the couch with Martha Kent in front of them.

"So how did you two meet? I imagine a reporter such as Clark rarely gets to meet someone as busy as you on a normal day."

"We've actually known each other for a while now, Ma." Clark interjects. "I met Bruce at some business function that I was reporting on."

"I'm Batman." Clark and Martha look at Bruce stunned. "Clark and I know each other quite well and we worked alongside each other for a while now."

"Well," Martha Kent pauses, "it's good that Clark has someone who can understand what he's going through. Goodness knows that Johnathan and I can only understand so much all the way out here." Martha's kind expression is more than Bruce could hope for. "I'm glad he found someone like you, Bruce. You boys should join us for supper."

By the time dinner rolls around, Bruce has shared as much about his personal life as he is comfortable with the Kents. Seeing the amiable couple interact with Clark makes him wonder if something like that was possible in his future. Clark briefly makes eye contact with him at the dinner table.

"Ma, Pa, we actually came here for another reason other than to introduce Bruce to you." Bruce wonders if Clark is aware that a little for of his Kansas accent slips out when he's back with his parents.

"What reason is that?" Johnathan Kent asks good naturedly.

"We’re expecting twins," Bruce says bluntly, not one to beat around the bush.

A soft "oh" escapes Martha Kent as the sounds of eating came to an abrupt halt. Alfred looks warily between the two couple.

"Well," Johnathan Kent says leaning back in his chair chuckling, "you are just full of surprises aren't you, Bruce?"

Bruce lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "We wanted to let you know, because your lives will likely be affected by this."

Martha turns to Johnathan excitedly, "we're finally getting grand kids!"

"It's likely that when the media finds out that Clark and I are together, a few people might contact you."

"That's fine." Johnathan and Martha Kent nodded in sync. "We'll just tell them we had no idea this was all going on."

"Which is reasonable enough since Smallville is quite a distance from Gotham and Metropolis. Besides, believe it or not, Johnathan and I are quite good at playing the unsuspecting middle-aged couple" Martha winks at Bruce.

Bruce smiles. "Believe it or not, Alfred also has experience as a professional play actor."

Johnathan, Martha, and even Clark gave Alfred surprised looks.

"Oh Master Bruce you're making an old man blush." Alfred says amicably. "It was only for a short while in London."

Johnathan and Martha were full of questions about Alfred's numerous colorful experiences and briefly, their attention was directed away from the young couple.

"I keep learning new things every time I'm with you," Clark murmurs into Bruce's ear. Bruce looks at Clark playfully.

"Stick around cowboy, there's a lot more where that's coming from," Bruce whispers back.

Clark smiles suggestively at Bruce before his expression turns curious.

"We have a visitor coming up," Clark announces, "and he's carrying a box of puppies." All eyes were on the door now.

Sure enough, a few moments later the doorbell rang. Johnathan Kent went to greet the visitor.

"Good evening, Bobby."

"Evenin’, John." An older man with scruffy beard and a hat set the box on the floor. "My dog, Annabeth, gave birth to this litter a few days ago an' I was wonderin' if you folks were interested."

"Ooh puppies." Martha went over to join her husband, settling down next to the box and carefully picked up a small pup.

The rest of them also gathered around the puppies while Bobby and Johnathan were talking. "I would keep them all, but we already have five dogs already."

Bruce peers inside the box. There were six puppies in addition to the gray one on Martha's lap. Most of them were nestled together, but a black pup was looking up at Bruce and scratching the cardboard box lightly.

Before he knew it, Bruce was reaching out to the small black pup and petting it softly. The pup gave Bruce's fingers a few licks and snuggled right up to his palm.

"Do you want one?" Bobby asks looking at Bruce pleadingly. "Please say yes, I have asked almost everyone down this side of the street already." He supposes that he will have more free time soon since he was taking time off active duty. Thoughts of his future children playing with the black puppy ghost through his mind.

"Sure."

"That's wonderful!" Bobby exclaims as Bruce continues to stroke the soft black fur of the puppy whose bright eyes darted from Bruce to Clark and everyone else in the room.

Clark isn't the only one who experiences new things during their time together; Bruce too relishes these moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update (^.^) I hope you guys enjoy this. Currently, I'm not taking any requests since I really should focus on finishing this fic up first lol.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Dragon717, Mesonoxian, KingTaran, Kailuuna, beizanten, Evilpixie, alyuchiha913 for commenting! I love hearing feedback :) Speedy update due to burst of motivation.

"His name is Ace."

"He's so cute!" Barbara coos, peering over her glasses at the puppy enthusiastically panting and chasing its own tail, small pink tongue hanging out of its mouth.

The kids weren't even that surprised to see Bruce bring back a stray puppy. It's not the strangest thing that he's brought back by far. Even though Bruce acts stoic, the fact that he was unable to turn down three teenagers when they began actively auditioning to be his sidekick only proves that he still has a soft spot inside.

"He looks like he's a Great Dane," Dick observes, scratching between small pointed black ears.

"Ace the Bat-hound," Tim speculates, "it has a decent ring to it."

Clark and Bruce stood back to let Ace bask in the attention of the three heroes. "Hmm...watching them play with Ace is making me miss Krypto." The black puppy is running back and forth between Tim, Dick, and Barbara as if unable to decide who it wants to play with first.

"Except when Krypto runs around it feels like an earthquake."

"He's stopped doing that, mostly." Bruce raises a skeptical eyebrow. "I should visit the fortress to see if the database there has anything unique on Kryptonian development."

"You do that." Bruce is quiet after Clark mentions the ice fortress. He still had mixed feelings about the place.

"Do you want to go to a doctor to check the twins out?"

“I don’t really have a particular doctor," Bruce admits. "Alfred usually takes care of everything. The scars attract too much attention." Clark stares at Bruce intently as if he could see all the scars underneath his layers, For all Bruce knows, that's exactly what Clark is doing right now. "That’s why I use birth control. It’s easier to get and maintain than an IUD." Not to mention that he couldn't bring himself to ask Alfred to do the procedure... "Besides, what if something abnormal shows up in my blood work? I don’t want the twins to be experiments for people." It's safer that he analyzes his own blood work and make the discoveries himself.

Clark grimaces at the thought of their unborn children being captured for experimentation. He would die before he let that happen.

"Will Alfred be able to help you deliver when the time comes?"

Bruce is silent for a moment. "Alfred can handle it. He has medical experience."

"What can't Alfred do?" Clark wonders.

"I have no idea," Bruce replies.

 

* * *

 

Bruce glances at his phone.

_Coming over now.  
_

He checks his appearance in the mirror one more time. He's dressed casually for once. The dark suits and dress shoes were exchanged for loafers, dark jeans, and a form fitting blue tee shirt which brings out his eyes, according to Barbara. He's almost two months pregnant, so it's not enough to show yet. _But soon._ Bruce makes a shy smile in front of the mirror and then tries for a flirty look. He flutters his eyelashes a bit; there was just something that was a bit off that he didn't like. He couldn't quite put a finger on it. He bites his lips to bring more color to his face. Better.

"Master Kent is here!" Alfred calls from downstairs.

This will have to do. He's over thirty years old for Pete's sake.

Clark Kent is waiting at the bottom of the staircase for him in glasses, jeans, and a red flannel shirt. "You look great," Clark beams at him as he reaches the bottom of the stairs.

"For the Audi, sir," Alfred says, handing Bruce the keys. "I hope both of you have a wonderful afternoon."

"Thanks, Alfred," Bruce and Clark said in unison.

As they are taking the two hour drive from Wayne Manor to Metropolis, the clear blue skies and bright sunshine promise a pleasant if not warm afternoon.

Clark has been grinning like an idiot and looking off into the distance for the past half hour.

"What's so funny?" Bruce asks as he cruises the car at 80 miles per hour. He has to keep reminding himself to be _safe_ now. Usually, he's at least 20 miles faster.

"I just think its funny how we kind of did things out of order. I mean, after all this we're finally having our _first_ official date."

"We're not exactly the type to follow conventional rules," Bruce muses.

"No, we aren't," Clark agrees.

 

* * *

 

_Clark, Johnathan, and Alfred were in the barn checking out several machinery that seems to be malfunctioning. Bruce can hear the sputtering of the tractor engine from the kitchen as he's helping Martha bring out the food._

_His mother was also named Martha. He wonders if she would have aged just as well and tries to imagine what his parents would look like if they had lived to be older.  
_

_"Careful Bruce, don't change your tone." Bruce's head jerked up in surprise. "I hope you don't mind," Martha says in the same even voice. "I purposely asked Johnathan to distract Clark so I could talk to you without Clark listening in." Bruce nods to show that he understands. It's true that when Clark is focused on something, everything else just sounds like background noise, or so he's been told._

_"It's fine," Bruce says in the same easy tone. He's careful not to let his heart beat too fast and remain as calm as he could to not give anything away to Clark. He's nervous what Martha wanted to talk to him about. He runs through everything he's said and done in front of the Kents. He thought everything was going fine..._

_"Clark's birthday is coming up in a few weeks..."_

_Oh thank god._

_"I know." Bruce responds promptly, his mood lifted immensely.  
_

_"Or at least what we call his birthday since it was the day he came into our lives." Bruce continues setting the table with Martha. He could see how much she and Johnathan love Clark. "I was wondering if you have anything planned for him." Martha looks at Bruce inquisitively._

_"Nothing concrete yet," Bruce says, feeling as though some of his ideas might not be suitable for discussion with Clark's mother. "Are you planning something?" He could always postpone his plans.  
_

_Martha chuckles. "I've celebrated quite a few birthdays with him. I think this year he would like to spend it with his mate." Bruce's eyes widen at the wording. There's a much more serious connotation to the word as oppose to boyfriend or girlfriend. "I've seen the way he looks at you," Martha says as the tractor outside suddenly gave a loud sputtering. "It's the same way I see Johnathan look at me when we were younger."_

_Bruce's heart skips a beat. "I want you to know that I am very serious about Clark, too . I would never play with his feelings."_

_"No you don't seem like the type. I have faith in Clark's decision." Martha turns to Bruce, a little glint in her eyes."Tell me though, what do you like about him?"_

_"Honestly," Bruce holds his breath momentarily, "he's the most beautiful man I've ever met."_

_"Looks fade you know."_

_"I know. I wasn't talking about his looks." Martha gave Bruce a large smile. "Sometimes on the team, I feel like he's the most human out of all of us." Bruce looks in the direction of the ruckus outside."He…he makes me happy and I always thought, before we even got together, that if it was all to end one day, he would be right there beside me."_

_"I see." Martha touches Bruce’s arm. "Let’s not talk about such heavy topics anymore. Now, if you don't mind an old woman being noisy,_ _I have a few suggestions_ _."  
_

_"Not at all," Bruce smiles, "please."  
_

 

* * *

 

As they approach the pier, the sunlight reflecting off the water glitters like a thousand diamonds floating in the undulating waters. Their hands join together as they walk towards the festivities.

It was decided that a good location would be at a carnival held in Metropolis by the water front. No doubt the attraction would draw lots of people.

They walk to a few booths together along the boardwalk, occasionally playing a few games, badly. Clark accidentally pitches the ball too high, missing the milk bottles by a foot while Bruce has more luck with the second ball, knocking out the top bottle. Several people have already given him and Clark double takes, whispering and snapping a few surreptitious photos.

"Aww they look so cute together."

"Isn't that Bruce Wayne though? Who's the guy next to him?"

"Wow they're both tall like models."

"The one in the blue shirt maybe, but the other one looks a little bland for my taste." Girlish giggles erupt past them.

Bruce leans into Clark's ear. "I don't think you're bland at all." Clark laughs and shakes his head.

They walk for a few more minutes before Lois Lane appears out of nowhere with Jimmy Olsen carrying a camera on his shoulder.

“This is Lois Lane of the Daily Planet bringing to you live from Metropolis Pier.  We seem to a celebrity here from Gotham City! Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, is visiting our beach today, hand in hand, with what seems to be our very own journalist, Clark Kent! The camera focuses on their conjoined hands. Clark tightens his grip.

“Hi Lois. Clark gives a bashful smile towards the camera. We’re on our first date today.” Bruce flashes the camera a cheerful smile.

The camera then focuses on Lois. “What exciting news! There you have it folks, Bruce Wayne is dating the Daily Planet’s very own Clark Kent! Certainly people in Metropolis are taking advantage of this beautiful day with couples everywhere.”

Suddenly a scream is heard in the distance. All eyes turn toward the noise. A woman in red hair points towards the ocean. Someone appears to be drowning in the beach from a distance. A frantic figure splashes in the water, sinking just below the surface every now and then. Suddenly, a blue and red blur is seen flying towards the drowning youth.

“Look it’s Superman,” Lois reports. The camera pans onto someone wearing the distinctive Superman costume in the distance, pulling a slump body from the ocean and settling it on the shore before flying off. A dark hair male kneels down to the body, checks the boy for injuries, and signals that everything is alright.

Lois turns to the camera. "It seems that out beloved hero has once again save the day." Turning back to Bruce and Clark, “this must be very exciting to you. On your first date you were able to see Superman save someone!”

Bruce's shocked face was on point. “Oh wow, I did not expect to see this happen today. I'm glad that that boy is safe.” Lois and Clark nodded in agreement.

"Quick question, how has your date been so far?"

"It's been great, but we only just started really," Bruce shakes their intertwining hands for emphasis.

“Thank you for answering our question. We should let you guys go now and enjoy the rest of your date,” Lois smiles broadly. The camera pans to a different direction as Lois begins to talk about all the different attractions, walking away with Jimmy in tow.

Bruce and Clark are silent as they make way from the forming crowd towards a small cafe.

“So that seems to work pretty well,” Clark says as they seated themselves in the corner out of most of the public's eye. "Lois says I owe her though since covering tourist attractions is below her pay grade. She had to pull some strings so she could personally cover it."

"Understandable. What does she want?"

"Rights to the first photos of the twins."

Bruce considers it for a moment. "That can be arranged." He folds his hands on the table and rests his chin on his hands. "Conner seems to be wearing the outfit quite well."

"Tim isn't so bad at splashing either." They both grin at each other. The kids were each more than willing to pitch in when they heard of Bruce's plan. "Well don, Mr. Wayne.

"You too, Mr. Kent." Bruce nods.

They sit at the cafe for another 10 minutes, talking about inconsequential nothings.

"Give me the keys to your car," Clark says as they were preparing to leave now that the crowd outside had disperse.

"What for?" Bruce asks, already holding his keys in hand.

"I have a place that I want to show you."

Bruce hands over the keys with a questioning look.

 

* * *

 

 _Taqueria del Sol_ stands in bright bold red and yellow letters on top of the brownstone of a quaint Mexican restaurant.

When they enter, they are greeted by a old woman with nearly white hair and a warm smile. The restaurant has a homely atmosphere and is obviously family owned. They ask for a booth towards the back of the restaurant as waiters and guests hustle and bustle about.

"What made you want to come here?" Bruce asks, raising an eyebrow. Nothing in the place seems out of the ordinary. Neither the staff nor the customers raised any particular red flags with him. He does a second check. Clear.

Clark grins. "It's said that this restaurant had the best enchiladas de mole in Metropolis. And, according to Alfred, that's one of your favorite dishes."

Bruce breaks into a smile. "So you've been talking to Alfred behind my back, huh?"

"Just a quick question here and there. Hardly anything to be jealous over."

Bruce's face is amused as a waitress came up and took their orders, enchiladas de mole for Bruce and tamales for Clark.

"I wanted to surprise you," Clark says, reaching into his jean pocket. "And give you this." He holds out a piece of white crystal, not unlike the size of a key in the palm of his hand.

Bruce takes the crystal wordlessly from Clark, examining it in his own hand. The lighting of the restaurant makes it look like ice.

"It's a key to the Fortress of Solitude," Clark says nervously, scratching his cheek. "I want you to have it, since you kind of got mad at me last time I was there and ignored you. This way, you can find me if you need anything. Even if no one else on earth can reach me."

"Thank you," Bruce says, knowing the weight of the key in his hand. While it's true that the Fortress of Solitude is a safe house for Clark, it's also where Clark feels most connected to his Kryptonian heritage. Every piece of alien technology he obtains that is related to Krypton is stored there. Whenever he starts feeling nostalgic, he would fly there and read up about his people's history or carefully go over each artifact. "And I wasn't mad. Just irritated that you ignored Conner for so long."

"Of course you weren't mad. That's why you yelled at me for being there with Krypto."

"I- what?" Bruce had a prickling feeling in the back of his mind that told him Clark wasn't lying. Their food came in time, letting Bruce process what Clark said. He had a vague feeling that he didn't just dream that he met Clark the night he got wasted. He rubs his forehead. _How embarrassing._

"It doesn't matter," Clark says, giving Bruce a wink. "You were adorable." Bruce's face is completely blank as he makes a horrified expression internally. "The food smells great. Let's eat."

Clark insists that he pays for the meal, and they decided to go for a walk afterwards.

"That was a really good restaurant," Bruce says.

"I'm glad you like it. Somehow I wasn't very surprised when Alfred says that you have a thing for chocolate. I didn't even know they use chocolate in mole sauce until recently."

"I was a picky eater as a kid, so Alfred would try all sorts of recipes and tell me about each dish. I think he made the dish after he realized how rarely I turned down chocolate."

Clark chuckles. "That's surprisingly very kiddish of you."

"I tried to act like an adult after my parents died. But whenever I see chocolate, I remember my dad surprising my mom with her favorite chocolates and she would share it with me each time. It's one of my favorite memories."

"That's very sweet of you. Must be from all the chocolate you've been eating." Bruce gives Clark a half-hearted glare. He didn't think the day would ever come when he could talk about his parents like this. Not just of how they died but how they lived. It still aches, but it's not so bad with Clark around.

They stroll for a while, each lost in their own thoughts before a commotion catches their eye.

Excited voices of a young couple catch their attention. The boy and girl, around Tim's age, were laughing at some photos of themselves from the photo booth they just walked out of.

Bruce's eyes linger on the photo booth. He never tried it before when he was younger. It just never seemed to be the right time.

"Do you want a picture?" Clark asks. Bruce shakes his head.

"I'm good." Clark gives Bruce a skeptical look before tugging him towards the booth. "No really, I'm fine."

"Oh this isn't for you, this is for me. I want to remember this day. Let's go."

After the pictures, Clark tells Bruce to keep the photos for him.

 

* * *

 

They headed back to the car afterwards. Bruce takes the driver's seat once again.

"Do you want to come over to my place?" Clark asks casually as Bruce starts the engine.

"No." Clark's expression fell immediately. "Your walls are thin and last time I was there we got complaints. Let's head back to my place where we won't get interrupted." Clark brightens up immediately.

Bruce decides that its okay to drive a little faster leaving than when he arrived.

He parks the car with the other models. Alfred greets them in the garage and Bruce tells him that no one is to disturb then unless it's absolutely necessary. He then drags Clark to his bedroom.

He's barely taken five steps before Clark pulls him back and kisses the living daylights out of Bruce. Suddenly, he just can’t get enough of the feeling of Clark all around him and the distance from the door to his bedroom feels too long. “Hang on,” Clark says and Bruce wraps his leg around the Kryptonian because he’s flying them to Bruce’s bedroom and he supposes this is just another perk to dating Superman.

They land on top of him with a thump and Clark is on top of him. “So beautiful Bruce,” Clark murmurs at him adoringly. “I want to kiss you everywhere.”

“I’m not going to stop you,” Bruce chides, a little breathless. They quickly take off each others clothes.

Clark takes his right hand and kisses his wrist, trailing kisses to his forearm, bicep, shoulder, neck and spends extra time at his lips to deliver a particularly filthy kiss that leaves Bruce panting because Kryptonians have no need to breath like humans do and Clark is definitely using that to his advantage. Clark continues his mission of kissing Bruce’s other arm as he lies gasping quiet moans. His skin feels like it’s catching on fire everywhere Clark’s lips touch. The alpha laces Bruce’s left hand with his right and presses it to his cheek as he gives a sly smirk at how well he can unravel Bruce.

Bruce rubs his thighs along Clark’s sides to keep the alpha from observing his masterpiece for too long, and Clark laces his fingers with Bruce’s other hand and leans forward again to plant a kiss at the base of his throat. He rains kisses over Bruce’s chest and sucks fiercely at each nipple until Bruce is arching into the alpha, groaning his name.

Clark’s weight between his legs keeps him grounded as the alpha kisses the planes of his stomach and the knowledge of what Clark is indirectly kissing gets to Bruce.

“Clark,” Bruce cries hoarsely. The alpha looks up as if he’s been caught red-handed. Bruce still holds onto Clark’s hands as he shifts his weight to sit up and Clark moves to accommodate for Bruce. He leans back until he is pressed against the headboard. Bruce uses the compliance to straddle the alpha’s lap, and it's his turn to kiss Clark senseless. He presses his hardness against Clark’s abs because he wants to be as close to Clark as possible, and he feels his wetness rubbing over Clark’s equally hard cock.

How in the world was he able to get someone as loving and gently and kind as Clark?

He releases the alpha’s hands and positions himself until he is sinking down on the cock underneath him. Clark’s body is drawn tight as he sinks into that wet tight heat. Bruce barely gives the alpha time to adjust before he uses the headboard as leverage to lift himself up and slam back down onto Clark. The alpha groans into Bruce's shoulder. He holds onto Bruce as the omega continues to ride both of them into completion.

Clark is still inside of him as Bruce slumps into the alpha’s chest, resting his head on his shoulder. Clark’s cock pulses as it continues to squirt more semen into him than he could ever produce as an omega in one sitting. He never told Clark how much he enjoys the feeling of being so full, but he has a feeling that the alpha knows. Drowsiness overtakes him suddenly and he almost drifts off on top of Clark before the alpha’s rumbling voice catches his attention.

“If you don’t move, I’m going to knot you like this,” he warns but makes no move to push Bruce off his lap. Since Bruce isn’t in heat, his natural pheromones will only make Clark’s knot last fifteen minutes give or take instead of the usual half hour.

“Go ahead,” Bruce quips sleepily into Clark’s ear, not one to back down from any challenges no matter how tired being pregnant is making him feel recently.

By the time roughly fifteen minutes are over, Clark carefully moves the sleeping omega on top of him until they are lying on their side. Bruce grumbles a little at the movement, but doesn’t wake up. Clark shifts so that he is pressing his chest to the omega’s back. His arm curls around Bruce's body, hand resting protectively over his stomach.

He plants a kiss on the omega's shoulder before taking a lungful of that addictive scent he associates with Bruce.

 

* * *

 

A dark haired woman pauses the video with the the Daily Planet emblem on the corner of the screen. Focusing on the two smiling men, her fingers linger on once face in particular.

The men behind her are silent as they wait for her command. In the dimly lit room, the light from the sleek monitor casts shadows on the ancient stone walls.

"What are you planning, Bruce? This one is different from the others?" she whispers, more to herself than the shadows who rarely respond to anything other than instructions.

Her shadows await her orders. It is a skill they have spent years honing and perfecting.

They are nothing more than obedient dogs to her for they have given their lives over to her sire. He is their master, their God.

They follow her command out of respect for she is heir to the demon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I couldn't help but squeeze in that tiny reference from Saga which is an amazing comic if you guys haven't heard about it yet. Also, I totally got the enchiladas de mole idea from watching the cartoon series The Batman.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good thing about writing my own fanfic is that I can squeeze in all my headcannons. I've already decided the names and sex of the twins, but it's interesting to see what your guesses are (^.^)
> 
> Thanks to Evilpixie, Mesonoxian, jkbat, beizanten, AngeDeLaMisericorde, alyuchiha913 for commenting! I'm on a roll here!

Bruce is alone in the cave when Catwoman comes by to visit. He sees a flicker of a shadow in the periphery of his eyes before he hears her, always so quiet.

"Have you finally given up the cape and cowl, Bruce? I just can't imagine that for some reason."

Bruce is sitting in his chair while Selina stands in front of him. He has to tilt his head up to make eye contact, and he tries not to think of it as a form of submission to another alpha in his cave. He looks up to very few people due to his height.

"I haven't given up anything yet, Selina."

“Don’t get me wrong, Bruce,” Selina purrs. “Your replacement’s good, but he’s not you. He’s not angry enough as Batman, not _alpha_ enough.” She walks around him like a cat and he ignores the instinct to follow her movements with his eyes. “I wonder why Bruce Wayne is suddenly dating a journalist and not prowling the streets as Batman anymore. Could it be that you’re giving up the nightlife? No, that’s not right. You couldn’t give this up so easily just to settle down like a good omega.” She tightens her circle, and it feels like she's wrapping around him like a snake. The alpha breathes in deeply. “You smell much better without that awful alpha cologne that you smother on when you’re Batman. You have such a lovely natural scent. But this is also different from your typical scent. Sweeter somehow. I can’t put my finger on it. You smell like you’re- you’re pregnant,” Selina realizes.

Bruce gives her a look that confirms her suspicions. She has known him long enough to pick up his nonverbal cues.

Oh this is too good!” she says gleefully, clapping her hands. “After all this time you finally found someone you trusted enough to get you knocked up!“

"He's a good guy," Bruce says, and that's all he really needed to say. Clark is good to him, for him. Whenever he ponders over the meaning of good and evil, Clark is always the shining example of _good_ in the world.

Selina's eyes soften, sensing the depth behind the simple phrase. "It was fun while it lasted, Brucie,” Selina kisses him on the cheek. “I'm glad that you were able to find someone." She had been worried about Bruce since the new Batman had shown up. The few times she had known Bruce to put off wearing the mask, he had been seriously injured or was an emotional wreck due to some misfortune. Thank goodness the reason is happier this time. He deserves to be happy.

"I'm glad I found him too." Selina smirks.

“Good luck with the baby." Catwoman gives him a salute. "I gotta go console a sad clown now since you locked her little cactus away.” She jumps up and disappears into the shadows in seconds, leaving as quietly as she had come.

 

* * *

 

As weeks passed, Bruce's toned abs begin to soften and the changes in his body are becoming more obvious. He doesn't train as intensely as before, but he still jogs and does light workouts. It wouldn't do to gain an excess amount of baby weight and then not be able to fit into the batsuit anymore. He's read how exercise during pregnancy is actually healthy for the mother and child and secretly he's grateful. He would not be able to sit around all day for nine months straight.

Alfred has taken care to make extra nutritious meals for expecting omegas and is even more adamant that Bruce eats his meals on time.

The day when he starts showing is approaching rapidly. He sticks to loose fitting clothes for now, but soon even that will not be enough to conceal it. It's not that Bruce is particularly vain, the numerous scars on his body can attest to that. But there was just something disconcerting about seeing his waist slowly expand while his arms and legs remain pretty much the same size. Fortunately, due to his tall frame, it takes a considerable amount of weight before he looks blows up like a balloon.

On an off day when Bruce has finished his tasks at Wayne Enterprises, he is wearing a simple blue long sleeve and slacks in the cave, fiddling with potential cases to assign the Teen Titans and seeing if any suspicious activities had occurred since he's last check. He frequently aids more on the intelligence side of things since he is unable to physically back them up now. Not that they needed his physical strength much. His mind is still his greatest weapon after all. Their reactions vary from the surprise of Barry Allen to the calm acceptance of Diana. It was understood that they will all treat Bruce no differently than before, he made sure of that.

Outside of the Justice League, he had finally cleared things up with Oliver and they were both able to put their joint project ahead of past history. Bruce can't say he doesn't enjoy the new found respect in Oliver's eyes recently. It wasn't that the alpha was rude or condescending to begin with, but the realization of another facet of Bruce's identity has caused him to realize that Bruce is no longer the young omega he once knew. Bruce is _dangerous_.

The _ding_ of the elevator signals to him that he has company, and the voices tell him that it's Barbara and Tim. It may be the fluctuating hormones, but lately he's been appreciating having company more. It may be the budding maternal instincts encouraging him to be more social, but he's enjoying having more than just Alfred and him in the cave. Barbara, Dick, Tim and even Conner have been visiting more frequently while he sees Clark at least once a day. The alpha still has commitment to the Daily Planet and the Justice League, but he spends practically the rest of his time with Bruce. Clark hasn't brought it up into conversation, but perhaps that's why he was extra self-conscious by Tim's statement.

"Woah, you got a little belly going on there, Bruce."

"Tim, that's rude."

"Sorry, it just slipped out." Tim shrugs and gives Bruce a harmless smile. "I mean you look pregnant."

Sure his clothes and especially his pants have been a bit more snugged lately, but he was still able to button his pants and that should be able to count for something, right?

Selina was only able to notice when she got really close to him, so he should be able to still keep a low profile at Wayne Enterprises for a few weeks. His suit jackets are still more than enough to hide this little swelling.

So it was no surprise really that almost a month later the media finally caught on. In a photo that catches his side view, the swelling of his stomach has become obvious to those who see it.

The cat is out of the bag.

 

* * *

 

Although pregnancy is a naturally occurring phenomenon, it is still in fact a phenomenon.

Bruce has long outgrown the days of being a picky eater, but with the pregnancy, he finds himself having more odd cravings. Not so much as peanut butter on top of pickles odd, but definitely more _pizza, burgers,_ _fried chicken, ice cream, cookies._ It's like the twins love all the foods that are typically recommended in moderate amounts. _No wonder it’s so easy for people to gain weight during pregnancy._

Thankfully, the morning sickness has passed after the first couple of weeks. He did not enjoy tasting his food the second time when it came up.

Pregnancy is strange. He feels tired more easily and the urge to eat at odd hours is irritating. His stomach is becoming a more frequent reminder to his meals than Alfred is. Certain smells makes him nauseous especially strong scents like gasoline or smoke. After an explosion in downtown Metropolis, the first whiff of Clark sent him reeling and he had to keep the alpha at arm’s length until he took a shower.

On the other hand, the small physical changes are more easy to handle than the clusterfuck of the media world. With his fortune, he was able to keep harassment to a minimal level. Even though he and Clark had given Clark's parents a heads up, he still hired some people on the side to intercept the more aggressive news junkie. Still, there wasn't much he could interfere between Clark and his colleagues. The alpha assured him that he can handle his coworkers himself.

Clark has been under scrutiny of his peers ever since the news that he was dating Bruce Wayne came out. Those who found out his Metropolis address would show up at odd hours, hoping to get a chance for an interview or a glimpse of the lucky alpha. All the more reason for Clark to hang out in Gotham the rest of the time he wasn't working. Luckily, the ones that matter most to Clark understood why he preferred to keep a low profile.

While Clark was being grilled at his workplace, Bruce had to make an official statement as the main shareholder of Wayne Enterprise. He made it clear that the collaboration with Queen Consolidated will continue as planned, and he intends to remain working until his due date. 

Surprisingly, news of his personal life ended up becoming a boon to the company. Stock prices rose for Wayne Enterprises, and the board members seem pleased of the fact that Bruce Wayne is dating a non-celebrity. Apparently, in addition to the pregnancy news, these were all signs that the head of the Wayne family is ready to settle down and the future for the company is set. He's fine with that interpretation.

Not everything was ever so simple though. In the entertainment world, rumors of whether Oliver Queen or Clark Kent is the true father spread like wildfire due to his close relations with both. Bruce wasn't annoyed by that as much since his promiscuity has been a trait he's long fostered. However, when newscasters begin talking about Clark as if he sought out a relationship with Bruce mainly for his wealth, he became slightly disgruntled. The love triangle rumors were quickly squashed by Oliver, but the question of Clark's integrity was much slower to die out.

Like as with all news, it was only a week before the public became enraptured with something else. Currently, it's about some popular athlete's twelve mistresses all coming out at once making claims that he has deviant sexual tendencies. That ended up working in Bruce's favor.

After Tim's comment, Bruce decides to go out for a walk. Lately, he finds himself doing more leisure activities in the daylight than ever before. Ace is still a puppy, so he needs a lot of attention. On clear days like this, Bruce would take him out to play in the large gardens around his house.

It was the fact that Ace was playing around a rose bush chasing a squirrel that Bruce became nostalgic of the rose gardens once more. Tending the rose gardens was something his parents enjoyed whenever they had time. He remembers playing in the backyard while his parents were gardening when he fell into an old well. That was when he realized how fearsome bats were.

Looking at the roses in the garden now, Bruce is inspired to pick up a temporary hobby. Hopefully, Clark would like the results.

 

* * *

 

Bruce is crying.

He didn't think it would be this bad but he was wrong.

The fumes stung his eyes as soon as he cut into the first bulb. It only got worse as he continues to chop the onions. If he was wearing the cowl right now, he would have this problem with the built in filtration system. At least no one was around to see him in this state. He had told Alfred that he wanted to do something special for Clark by cooking his favorite dish, Martha Kent's homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Alfred was wise enough to realize he should give the couple a wide berth and told Bruce that he was going to spend the night out watching a play and catching up with old friends.

Bruce brushes the tears away with the back of his hands which proves to be a costly mistake as his eyes stung even more now and a fresh wave of tears spill over. He needs to take a few minutes away from the kitchen to clear his senses which seem to be especially sensitive as of late.

Suddenly, someone grabs him around the shoulders in the living room.

"Bruce what's wrong?" Clark whirls him around.

"Nothing's wrong," Bruce scowls at the alpha through wet eyes. He hates being spun around. "I was cutting onions."

"Oh." Clark relaxes his grip. Now he smells the onions. "Why were you cutting onions?"

"You're back early," Bruce grumbles. Clark was supposed to be at work until 5pm, but it was barely 3pm now.

"I got special permission to leave work early." Bruce sighs.

"I was going to surprise you by making you spaghetti and meatballs. Your mom gave me the recipe last time I was there." The joy in Clark's face was undeniable.

"Thank you."

"I haven't even finished cooking yet," Bruce mutters. Clark shakes his head.

"I'm really happy that you put this much effort into making something special for me."

"That wasn't the only thing I got you."

"There's more?" Bruce disappears for a while and comes back with a potted rose.

"I crossed several breeds to make a new strain. You can name it whatever you like and keep it at the fortress with your other stuff." Clark grins broadly.

"I love it." Clark kisses Bruce on the lips. "I love you." Bruce's cheeks warms slightly.

His eyes fell over to the sofa where Clark had thrown his things in his haste to get to Bruce. Among the things is an innocuous brown paper bag.

"What's this?" Bruce sets the plant on the table and walks over to the bag, taking it in hand. It was extremely light.

"It's uh- it's nothing." Bruce's eyes narrow at the suspicious behavior. He opens the bag and pulls out a pair of black lacy underwear.  
Clark's face is bright red as Bruce holds up the item in front of Clark. "I- I got it for you."

"But it's your birthday."

"I thought maybe we could try something new and since it's a special day, you might be more willing," Clark says in a rush. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but I just though you would look really nice in those."

Bruce grins.

"Okay."

Bruce absconds to the restroom with the black panties.

Clark just died. That could only be the reason why he's in heaven right now, the only reason why Bruce is putting on black, lacy underwear for him.

After a few minutes, Bruce saunters back looking sensual fully dressed in slacks and a button up shirt that hugs his figure. Clark wants to touch.

"Let's move things to the bedroom," Bruce suggests.

Clark follows him, wondering why the omega looks so pleased with himself.

"How did you know my exact size?" Bruce wonders. The lace feels soft against his hips, curving in all the right places that makes him look appealing in the full length mirror.

Clark's fingers twitches. “I-“ Bruce smirks.

"Do you think about my ass a lot?" Clark nods stiffly, running his eyes up and down Bruce's figure. "Have a seat." The alpha obediently sits down on the armchair. "No matter what, keep your hands here," Bruce says sultrily, pressing Clark's hands palms down on the armrests. "No touching unless I say so."

Clark gulps.

Bruce takes his time turning on slow romantic music and stalks in front Clark hips swaying like a provocative Middle Eastern dancer, _exoticbeautifulmesmerizing_. "Dinner and a show, huh?" Bruce licks his lips and Clark melts in his seat.

Bruce moves to the rhythm of the soft music in the background, gyrating his hips as he slowly takes off his belt and drops it with a clink at Clark's feet. Clark’s eyes are wide as Bruce slowly unbuttons his shirt, revealing a smooth expanse of skin. The sight of pale flesh stretched taunt over the curve of his stomach causes Clark to tighten his grip on the leather seat. Amusement shines in Bruce's eyes as he glances at Clark's erect cock underneath slacks that fail to hide his excitement.

Bruce's hands slip to the buttons on his pants, and he keeps eyes on the alpha as he tugs it down inch by inch before letting it fall at his ankles.

"Bruce-" Clark chokes out. The sight of his mate wearing only an unbuttoned shirt and black lace is enough to make Clark weak in the knees, and for once he's glad that he's sitting down. Bruce steps out of his pants with the grace of a cat. He turns and bends down to slide off his socks, purposefully giving Clark an eyeful of black lace stretched over that glorious ass. Bruce was gaining weight in all the right places, and Clark is more turned on by the pregnancy than he thought he would be. "Leave the socks on."

Bruce's face is a little surprised as he straightens up. "So you're a panty and stockings kind of guy?"

He clambers on top of the alpha's lap, and Clark has to remind himself not to touch, afraid of dispelling the magic that caused Bruce to give him a striptease. The outline of Bruce's hard cock beneath the lace tells him that Bruce is turned on by this too.

Bruce grinds down on top of Clark and a moan escapes the alpha. "Can I touch now?" he gasps.

"Maybe," Bruce teases as he wraps his arms around Clark and kisses him briefly. "But let's get you undressed first, I'm feeling a little cold here by myself." He moves off Clark's lap.

Clark couldn't get out of his clothes fast enough.

"Oh Rao," Clark gasps as he kisses Bruce and tugs off his shirt. Bruce is a work of art. The omega makes a pleased groan and rubs his dampness on Clark's thigh slotted between his legs. The alpha kneads his ass through the lace and it feels impossibly good. Bruce turns around and climbs on top of the bed.

"Fuck me, Clark." He presents his ass to Clark. "I want to feel it."

Hands tug the crotch of the panties to the sides, and Clark is sliding his fingers inside, testing the waters. Bruce groans at the friction of the lace sliding between his inner lips. Satisfied with the stretch, Clark replaces his fingers with his cock.

Bruce presses his face into the mattress and breathes in deeply. Tendrils of tingling desire curl up from where he is connected with Clark. The alpha's hand is cradling his stomach as his pleasure comes into a crest in a few thrusts. Just having Clark inside was enough.

"Ah." Bruce's body is pliant as Clark fucks into him, hard and fast. His rhythm stuttering the closer he's coming to orgasm. "Take off the underwear if you want to knot," Bruce rasps. Clark pulls out quickly and Bruce's muscles clenches at the sudden absence.

"Sorry," Clark rips off the underwear and presses his lips to the side of Bruce's hips. "I'll get you more later." He thrusts back in and Bruce groans at Clark's length inside of him again.

Clark didn't last long after that.

 

* * *

 

"I take it your birthday dinner was a success?" Alfred pours Bruce a cup of milk tea since the omega is decreasing his caffeine intake.

Bruce nods sleepily. After the heated sex, Clark followed Bruce into the kitchen and remained an almost constant distraction. Bruce was challenged trying to cook while Clark played the game of "grope the chef".

The meal was a success although it took longer than necessary, and they didn't really leave the bedroom much after that.

He should look into adding some new items to his wardrobe judging be the alpha's response. Soft lips press against his temple.

"Gotta go to work now," Clark says before leaving for the Daily Planet.

"Hmm."

"Ah to be young again," Alfred remarks as he sets Bruce's breakfast in front of him and hums as he does some housework.

He takes his time eating his meal as Ace runs up to him, yapping at his feet. Bruce slips the energetic puppy a piece of sausage which he gobbles up almost instantly and looks up begging for more.

Bruce pets him and points in the direction of the bowl of dog food Alfred prepared for him. Ace wags his tail as he trots over to his bowl and eats his meal along with his master.

He is more alert after he finishes his meal and he looks out the window to see that it was a pleasant day. Those seem to come by more often. Or was he just becoming more aware of good days lately?

Ace's bark draws his attention and the puppy is pacing back and forth in front of the door panting at him expectantly.

"I'll take Ace out for a walk today, Alfred."

It's been a while since he's walked around Gotham as a civilian and not the Batman or Bruce Wayne.

He wears a light grey jacket on top of a plain white tee shirt, jeans, and a wool cap since the weather is turning cooler.

Just another man walking his dog.

A young woman smiles as she walks past, eyes glancing at the curve of his stomach. He was undeniably showing now. He makes a friendly expression back.

Strangers seem to act nicer when they realized he's pregnant and are willing to move out of his way instead of just brushing by on the sidewalk. A few even asks how far along he is and comment on how healthy he looks. The more talkative ones even threw in some tips and advice.

He sits down on a park bench in front of a playground and lets Ace wander for a bit, sniffing random patches of grass and wagging his tail.

Bruce pushes the spare glasses that he's borrowed from Clark up the bridge of his nose as two little girls ran past him playing tag.

It's obvious that the girls were friends and not biological sisters since the taller girl has blonde hair and blue eyes while the smaller one has dark hair and dark eyes.

"Bet you can't catch me, Cassie!" the taller girl in pigtails and a purple dress shriek as she darted out of the other girls grasp. A look of determination crosses the smaller girl’s face as she renewed her efforts after her friend and the two ran off.

It would be interesting if he had twin girls. He already has two boys.

Suddenly, he feels two presences behind him. The hair at the nape of his neck stood up.

"It's best if you come quietly with us.” The man on his right says. “Miss Talia wishes to speak to you and she has orders that you are not to be harmed."

Bruce quickly calculates how fast he can take down the two undoubtedly league members. He doesn't want to risk it in his current condition and his choices in weapons are limited as it is.

In the few moments he hesitates, he feels a syringe in his neck. The last thing he sees before his vision fades to black is Ace barking frantically at his feet.

_Fuck._


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to AngeDeLaMisericorde, jkbat, Mesonoxian, alyuchiha913, ardlz, 21bangsfangirl, Kailuuna for commenting!
> 
> Phew! I finally got to this point. Can you believe this was what I have planned from the beginning?

Alfred looks at the old grandfather clock. Master Bruce has been out for a while now. The sun was nearly setting. Would a walk normally take all day? It wasn't uncommon for him to disappear for hours on end when the mood struck him, but still...something doesn't feel right.

Muffled barking brings him out of his reverie, and he heads towards the disturbance at the front of the house. As soon as Alfred opens the door, Ace is running around his legs and barking in a frenzy. He looks out to see if Bruce is trailing behind but Ace appears to be panicking by himself.

"Oh my."

 

* * *

 

"We haven't seen him anywhere around the city," Dick says.

"At least not at his usual haunts," Tim adds.

"I've checked street security footage from his usual routes against the face recognition software, but the last sighting of him was at 1pm near a park," Barbara supplies.

"Who are you looking for?" Clark asks as he enters Wayne Manor and what seems to be a discussion between the Batfamily. After a busy day at work, he just wants to see his mate and recharge.

"Bruce went out for a walk this morning and never came back," Dick answers.

Clark straightens up and takes off his glasses, quickly recognizing the slight worried and concerned looks between Alfred, Barbara, Dick, and Tim. He tries to hear for that familiar heartbeat that he knows in his sleep but fails to find it. Wherever Bruce is, he's no longer in Gotham.

"It's not unusual for him to leave the city," Clark says.

"That's what we thought, but Alfred says that Ace came back alone and wouldn't stop barking. Something spooked him."

Clark looks at the pup curled up underneath the coffee table, whimpering with eyes downcast.

"We tried to trace his phone but that was inconclusive."

"What are the most likely causes?"

"Bruce Wayne is known to have disagreements with some public figures, and Batman has plenty more. It may be related to the development project, but we're not sure. Penguin and his known associates are still in jail. There were some Gothamites who protested against the project as well, feeling like they were forced out of their homes by a big corporation."

"I've been tracking the dissenters, but I haven't heard of any abduction plans or ransoms. They're mostly seeing where they can hold the next rally to get the most attention."

"Some of them have started accepting the compensation plans, so that might cause some sparks among the protesters."

Clark opens his ears to all of Gotham.

_Sirens. Construction. Ambulances. Cars. School bells. Chattering. Footsteps.  
_

He grimaces. There's not the least bit of useful information about Bruce floating around. "Wherever he is, he's no longer in Gotham."

 

* * *

 

Bruce shudders.

The cool air chills his skin.

 _Talia_.

He wakes up to find himself alone, dressed in a dark silk robe on top of a large bed. He looks down and breathes a sigh of relief to see that familiar curve of his stomach, running his hand over it absentmindedly. Talia must have wanted him unharmed for a reason. She made a point to not have him tied up as if he was a guest instead of a prisoner. He does not have any false perception.

He analyzes his surroundings. The stone walls are bare and the room is void of any furniture other than the bed. The smooth steel door stands ominously on the far side of the room, lacking any handles with only a gap beneath for food and air. He wrinkles his nose at the chamber pot in the corner of the room. Perhaps he could break the wooden frame of the bed for use, however the disturbance that it would cause will likely alert the guards who are standing post outside. His best bet was seeing what Talia wanted. It wouldn't be prudent to try anything risky at this point.

The door clicks open. Speak of the devil.

"Hello Bruce." Talia walks in, looking not much different than she did years ago. "It's good to see you're awake now." A few more lines on her face perhaps. He sits on the edge of the bed. His bare feet settle on the cold stone floor.

"Why are you doing this Talia?" She walks towards him and sits on the end of the bed. Far away enough to give him his space but  close enough that he couldn't ignore her presence.

"I just wanted to talk to you, Bruce. Without any distractions." She smiles thinly, a dark lock of hair falls over one eye. Even though Bruce is larger, Talia is quicker and he has more to lose in this situation.

"So you drugged me and took me against my will?" Bruce's fingernails dig into the edge of the mattress. He was furious. No doubt Talia could scent that.

"I doubt you would have come with me willingly otherwise," she says coolly as if they were talking about the weather. "You made a point on where you stand with the League of Shadows last time."

"You think I would change my mind now?"

"I just want you to reconsider your options now that things have changed. I doubt your new beau would approve of you having private conversations with a member of the league alone. Being the self righteous hero he is." So she knows. "I can provide you things that he never could. He is only one person after all. My army can offer you and your family protection. I hope you take this time to go over my offer."

"There's nothing to go over, Talia. I'm not going to stay with you." Talia narrows her eyes. "I can protect my own family."

"Oh yes, the lack of death and injuries that occur in your family is a shining example of your prowess." Bruce glares at the wall. "You are just a mere mortal after all. Come now, Bruce." She pulls his face towards her. Her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Let's see how the baby is doing." A female doctor, a beta, in a white coat enters the room pushing in a cart full of medical supplies."Doctor."

"Mistress." Talia nods.

"This is the omega I want you to examine." She waves a hand towards Bruce.

"Let's have you lie back now, dear," the aged woman says to Bruce, smiling encouragingly. He considers for a second before he complies. "First, let's see how far along you are." She places a sheet across his waist and pulls open his robe exposing him. He squirms briefly on the bed with a pillow supporting his back. He doesn't have a stitch of clothing underneath that robe and the sheet is unnervingly thin. The gel is cool as she squeezes a dollop onto her hand and spreads it over his his bulging belly. He looks at the monitor hooked up next to him.

"Is the child fine?" Talia asks. "Although my men assured me that things went smoothly, I want confirmation."

"Children."

"What do you mean?"

"Congratulations Mistress, your omega has been blessed with two boys." Talia's face splits into a grin as she places her hand on top of Bruce's.

"Isn’t that wonderful, Bruce? I always dreamed that we would have a little boy together, and now there’s two." Bruce's heart is pounding as he stares at the monitor mesmerized.

"Here's the first baby, and here's the second." The doctor points at gray blobs on the screen.

 _Twin boys._ He could see two faint human shapes.

"Everything looks to be in order. He's developing perfectly fine at approximately 28 weeks." The doctor wipes away residual gel before she closes his robe for him. "Don’t worry. The anesthesia used will not have lasting harmful effects on your child," she addresses Bruce. He pulls the thin robe tighter around his body.

"I had to strip you, Bruce," Talia says apologetically. "We both know how resourceful you are with your little toys. Don’t think I didn’t see what you've hidden in your shoes."

"What is it that you want to talk about so badly that you had to do all this?" Bruce demands. He wants to get this over as soon as possible. Who knows how long he's been unconscious. He hopes the family isn't too concerned and that Ace is safe. Talia ignores his question and turns to the doctor.

"Your work is finished now doctor." The beta gives a short bow before she leaves and takes her medical equipment with her.

Talia gives Bruce a meaningful look as she brushes a stray piece of hair on his forehead. He jerks out of her reach.

"Bruce you loved me once." He felt like he was getting whiplashed. Why was she talking about this now?

"Once Talia, we agreed to end it." He stares at her steadily.

"You wanted to end it." She grabs his hand. "I still love you, Bruce. I realized that after I heard how you moved on without me." She gives a wistful glance at his poorly concealed stomach. "Even if the children you bear aren’t mine. This can be our chance to start over. We can be a family. I will look after yours as my own. Our sons can change the world." He pulls his hand from her grasp.

Bruce shakes his head. The League of Shadows is no place to raise a family. "It’s over between us, Talia. You know that I don't agree with your life style. There are lines that cannot be crossed even if the intent is good," he grounds out. He doesn't want to do this with anyone other than Clark.

"I’ll give you some time to think about what I'm offering." Talia stands abruptly.

"I have someone else now," Bruce says as she turns to leave.

"Who? The father of your child?" She scoffs. "Superman? He could never understand you like I do, Bruce." The disdain in her eyes is obvious. "I know what you are. I know of the darkness inside. Does he? What would he say if he knew of all the things that you have done? All the secrets you have kept?" Her voice rises with each word. "Don't force yourself to be something you are not." He clenches his fists. "Think about it, Bruce. Only I can truly understand you."

Bruce is quiet as the door slams shuts

He hears Talia's commands through the gap in the door. "No harm is to be done to him for he is with child. If anything happens, it'll be on your head," Talia says sternly, addressing the guards outside.

He rubs his eyes and thinks about Talia's motive. It's likely that she caught wind of news of him which forced her into action. He frowns as he thinks about the way Talia loves. It is passionate, dark and possessive. He knows.

The suffocating feeling is familiar enough to remind him why he left in the first place. He did not want his life to be consumed this way.

She used to be more open to discussion, but it seems like years with her father has changed her for the worse. Ra's was quite adamant that he took over the League of Shadows years ago along with Talia. The man had a peculiar way of thinking that has been warped by use of the Lazarus Pit for hundreds of years.

He spends what felt like hours formulating plans of escape. The walls lack any exploitable cracks. The steel door is the only entrance to the outside. He thinks about ways to incapacitate the guards outside, but it's been years since he's been here, and that would leave him at a disadvantage.

A plastic tray of food slides from underneath the door. He can work with this.

He walks towards the tray and picks it up. The meal is simple enough to eat with his hands. They know better than to give him utensils of any kind.

He's two bites into the sandwich before he drops the whole tray onto the ground with a loud clatter. He screams as he clutches his stomach and falls over on his side.

The door jangles briefly before he hears two sets of footsteps enter the room, running towards him. Immediately he picks up the tray and throws it between the first guard's eyes. From his position on the ground, he hooks his leg around the other's ankle and pulls him down, knocking him out with a strike to the neck.

He's managed to take out both of his jailers unscathed.

"Time to go now boys," he murmurs, rubbing his stomach. Nanda Parbat still looks the same as he remembered.

He quickly made his ways through the stone halls illuminated by torches. His stride is no longer graceful as it once was due to the change in his center of gravity. If anyone saw him, they would say that he looked more like he was waddling than running with his arms supporting the weight of his stomach.

 

* * *

 

_"It's funny how this is bothering you more than me."_

_"I’ve kept my reputation as a playboy for years now. The public is just surprised it took me this long to get knocked up." They're both on the couch and Bruce's legs are on top of Clark's lap. "What about you? How do you feel that they’re saying that you purposely put one in me to get a hold of my money?"_

_"I’m offended. Because I actually put two in you, and you are worth more to me than anything money can buy."_

_"You’re such a sap," Bruce says, rolling his eyes._

_Clark rubs his hand over Bruce’s feet. As the months progress, the extra weight has made Bruce’s feet more prone to cramps. He _has been giving Bruce foot massages ever since his feet have started swelling. Clark enjoys the simple things he could do to take care of his mate.__

_"How are things with the protesters? I saw some trying to prevent the construction crew from getting to work this morning."_

_"Most of them are just kids with a misguided sense of justice. They lack direction and organization."  Bruce groans as Clark's knuckles dig into the knot in the sole of his foot. Clark's hands are magical._ _"They think I’m the big bad corporation forcing citizens away from their homes."_

_"Don’t they know that you compensate and try to find accommodations for previous tenants of those areas?"_

_"They’re just getting too caught up in their ideas. They’re young and angry at the world and they need an outlet."_

_"Seems like you understand them quite well." Clark strokes Bruce's ankle affectionately.  
_

_"I was just like them once, but I found a hobby to let it all out."_

* * *

 

Bruce is halfway into a sleek black jet by the time a dozen assassins surround him. They parted like the red sea as Talia walks through them.

"I was hoping that you would be staying longer, Bruce."

"Talia, you know that you can't force me to stay here. I will never stop trying to escape," Bruce says fiercely as he hangs onto the jet.

"That part about you still hasn't changed I see," Talia says reluctantly. "Go on then, I've said what I wanted to say."

Bruce is momentarily stunned by the ease in which she is let him go, but he takes his chance and leaves before she has a sudden change of heart.

"Shall we give chase Mistress?" One of her most trusted asks as the jet departed.

"No. Let him go. He'll come to realize where his true destiny is eventually." She smiles. "Besides, I just made a point to his alpha that I can take him away anytime I want."

She stares contemplatively at the retreating black speck until it disappears into the horizon.

There was no sign of hesitation in Bruce's eyes.

 

* * *

 

When Bruce is out of range of the cloaking field surrounding Nanda Parbat, he immediately sends a signal to the batcave.

_Be back soon. - B  
_

He broods over how easy it was for him to be kidnapped on his flight back to Gotham. He doesn't think that Talia would have harmed him, but he needs to be more prepared next time. If Talia knows Clark's identity, then she knows how to hurt him, granted that she has no personal vendetta towards Clark that he could think of. Either way, it's best to keep Clark far away from Talia.

He's about 100 miles from the outskirts of Gotham City when he sees Superman joining him mid-flight.

Clark holds his question at bay until Bruce is back in the batcave, exiting the borrowed jet.

"Where have you been Bruce?" Clark asks. A frown mars his lips as worry wrinkles his forehead.

"I had some business to take care of," Bruce says. Unsure of how he was supposed to tell Clark that he went out for a walk and ended up captured, but it's really okay since he's back now.

"Without telling anyone?"

"It was time sensitive," He evades. He doesn't want to give Clark a reason to confront Talia.

"Dammit Bruce you can't just disappear whenever you feel like it." Bruce bites his lower lip. Clark is furious that Bruce won’t tell him what happened. "How can I protect you if you don't tell me what’s going on?"

"I don’t need you to protect me. I took care of myself. Everything is fine now."

"Everything is not fine! I’ve seen your definition of 'take care' Bruce and you get by the skin of your teeth sometimes. What if something had happen? You’re not Batman now, Bruce. You’re pregnant." He digs his nails into his palms. "You’re pregnant with our children and you disappeared for two days without me knowing where you were. Did you know that the Justice League looked for you all over the globe?"

"I never ask-"

"No you never ask for any help, Bruce, but maybe you should. You keep trying to do these things on your own when you don’t have to. There are plenty of people around you who would gladly help you if you said a word if you just let them in."

Clark should know how hard it is for him to admit anything. They've had this argument before.

Clark runs his fingers through his hair as he begins pacing. "Dammit Bruce! Every time I think you let me in you push me right back out without even telling me why!"

_What would he say if he knew of all the things that you have done?_

_All the secrets you have kept?_

Bruce knows he doesn't have an answer that would satisfy Clark.

"I'm going back to Metropolis," Clark huffs, lifting up off the ground. "I need some time to clear my head."

Bruce doesn't stop him as he leaves.

 

* * *

 

_2 weeks later_

 

A plume of smoke casts a shadow over the center of Metropolis on this sunny day.

"You'd said he'd come," Kalibak snarls at Metallo. He's been bitter ever since Darkseid abandoned him on this mud ball of a planet.

"A matter of time. He's unaccountably fond of this dump," replies Metallo, crossing his arms on top of a car pile next to the Daily Planet. Everyone knows that Metropolis is near and dear to Superman's heart.

"The cops seem fond of it too," Weather Wizard adds as Livewire joins them in a ball flash of light. Kalibak tosses a car in the direction of the Metropolis police surrounding them while she throws lighting.

"Toyman, isn't that thing ready yet?" Livewire whines.

"Just finishing up." A giant robot rises from behind the car pile, firing toy darts at the officers nearby. The small puppet-like man grins wickedly from his seat on top of the robot.

"Everybody down!" Captain Maggie Sawyer yells to her men as the darts exploded where they land.

"Nice," says Livewire grinning at the wreckage.

Green Lantern is the first one to arrive on scene, followed by J'onn J'onzz who materialized behind Livewire. Green Lantern summons a light shield to block the darts from the robot as J'onn takes out Livewire and begins fighting Metallo.

Weather Wizard directs an icy blast at the Flash, causing him to be blown away on his way to the fight. A police car lands on top of him, pinning him down. Suddenly, the car shifts and Wonder Woman tosses the car away to free her teammate.

Seeing his nemesis freed, Weather Wizard summons a storm to distract the heroes. Cars and pedestrians begin flying through the air. John Stewart forms protective spheres around the bystanders as Flash tries to bring as many as he could to safety. Hawkgirl swings her mace at Weather Wizard, causing him to drop his wand and disrupt the storm. Kalibak, formidable in his own right, knocks Wonder Woman into a building, causing it to fall on top of her.

Bruce raises his arms to shield himself from stray rocks as the battle unfolds. He had just finished meeting up with a business partner in Metropolis when the attack began. He had intended to see if Clark was at his workplace when the villains made the first move.

As the smoke clears, he sees Diana unconscious and wedged beneath a building. He's near enough that he might be able to get to her in time before Kalibak comes to finish the job. Superman arrives on scene just in time and prevents Kalibak from advancing towards Bruce and Diana.

"Get out of here!" Superman yells at him as Bruce pulls Diana's arm over his shoulders and tugs her from beneath the wreckage. Bruce grimaces as his large stomach makes it difficult to keep balance, but thankfully Diana was beginning to regain consciousness.

A green ball of light materializes from the center of the giant robot and shoots towards some civilians on the edge of the Daily Planet. Screams fill the air as Superman and Flash rescue the citizens just in time from the beam's path. Empty craters are all that remain after the ball of light disappears.

The cannon is suddenly pointed in the direction of Bruce and Diana who is still weak on her feet. The beam of light fills Bruce with dread, and he knows he's not fast enough to escape the line of fire.

Suddenly, Superman flies in front of Bruce just before the green ball of light could reach him.

_Everything seems to be getting fainter as light engulfs Clark. It was the feeling of his powers fading fast. Wonder Woman was yelling something at him, but it's difficult to hear her voice, his head feels like it's stuffed with cotton. He turns to see Bruce reaching out towards him. His face is twisted with distraught. Clark feels a twinge of regret. He didn't want it to end this way. He never meant to leave Bruce alone. He uses his last ounce of strength to touch his mate one last time. He has to know that he lo-_

Superman disappears in front of Bruce's very eyes.

He might have screamed, he's not sure. He's not sure of anything anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my version of the Justice League series "Hereafter Part I and II". Those of you who seen it before might know where this is going....
> 
> Until next time!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks beizanten, AngeDeLaMisericorde, jaybay, foxyk, Mesonoxian, alyuchiha913 for commenting as well as all those who left kudos!

He couldn’t breathe. It's like all the air was ripped out of his lungs, like his heart disappeared along with Clark.

His mind screams in loss.

The entire city is deathly silent. Civilians, heroes, and villains stand awestruck at what they have just witnessed.

Lighting cracks across the sky and rain begins pouring from the storm clouds summoned by Weather Wizard previously.

It was a dark day when Superman left Metropolis.

Diana flies to the sky and tears through the center of the robot, knocking Toyman to the ground. She rips chunks of the metal apart with her bare hands, but it does little to dampen the rage and grief inside. This piece of machinery is the reason why she lost one of her dearest friends.

“Stay back it’s full of acid!” Diana slaps the gun out of Toyman's hand. “Ahh!”

“Do I look like I’m playing games?” She snarls at the cowering fool and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. She could easily rip him in two and remove him from this earth just as he did Superman.

“What are you going to do to me?” Toyman whimpers.

“I’m going to punch a hole in your head,” Diana says mercilessly, clenching her fist.

“We don’t do that to our enemies,” Flash says, catching her by the wrist before she could carry out her promise.

“Speak for yourself,” she spat.

“I’m trying to speak for Superman.”

Wonder Woman tosses the imbecile to the ground and looks away.

Flash had said the only thing that could stop her in the moment. The men on the league are too softhearted.

 

* * *

 

_A week later_

_“This is Snapper Carr, returning to our continuing coverage of the death of Superman. I’m here at First Metropolis Cathedral, where just hours from now, services will be held for the world's greatest hero. In addition to friends, colleagues, and loved ones, heads of state from over 400 countries are expected to attend today. In the streets of Metropolis, as in cities all over the world, thousands have gathered to pay their last respects to the man of steel. Our all day live coverage will conclude following Superman's ceremonial interment later this evening. Afterwards, our panel of commentators and pundits will debate the question on everyone's lips. Without Superman, can there be a Justice League? Our coverage of the death of Superman will continue.”_

 

* * *

 

Bruce rubs his thumb on a red scrap of fabric. It was the only piece of Clark that remained in the battlefield. It was all he could find.

Footsteps disrupt his thought.

“What is it Alfred?”

"I’m afraid it's time, Master Bruce." He tucks the red cloth into his pocket.

"I’m not going to the funeral," Bruce says, focusing on the heap of rubble and scrap metal piled on his workstation.

"Why?"

"Because he's not dead."

"Sir?"

"What tipped me off was the lack of evidence. I’ve brought all of this from the crime scene, and I've examined it every way I know how."

"And you found?"

"Absolutely nothing, no scorching, no residue, no radiation. Objects were here, then they were gone."

"I'm afraid I don't understand." The line in Alfred's mouth deepen. Ever since Superman was struck point blank by that beam, Master Bruce has been obsessively going over the details of that fateful day barely pausing to take a break. The only way Alfred could pull him away from the heap of rubble was to remind Master Bruce that it is not solely his personal health that he is affected by his behavior.

"Matter can't be created or destroyed, just changed from one form into another"

"As you say sir, I believe I heard something about that when I attended grammar school."

"So unless the law of conservation of mass has been repealed, there's still hope."

"That’s... wonderful news Master Bruce." Despite his reassurances, Alfred couldn't help but feel that Bruce was grasping for straws. "Nevertheless, don't you think you should make an appearance?"

"What for? I’ve got work to do." Bruce turns away from Alfred, signaling that he is done with this conversation.

Alfred leaves Bruce to go over the evidence he has gathered alone. When Bruce is in this state, not even Alfred could persuade him to do otherwise.

Bruce selects surveillance footage of the scene where Superman was hit by the sphere of light and watches it again and again and again.

 

* * *

 

Even though Bruce told Alfred he wasn't going to publicly attend the funeral, he couldn't help but be drawn to the crowd while he was walking the streets of Metropolis, scouring for any clues that he might have missed. It might seem strange to passersby for a lone pregnant man to walk the streets, but none were present due to nearly everyone in Metropolis attending the ceremony. In the past week, most of the debris and rubble from the fight had been cleaned up for the funeral procession today.

These were all the people who love Superman, all the people that Superman fought to protect.

He waits outside the cathedral as J'onn J'onzz begins his speech. He doesn't want to see his teammates at the moment. He doesn't want to see that empty coffin with Superman's symbol. He doesn't want to stop believing in Clark.

_"Though we gather here today, bound together in sorrow and loss. We share a precious gift. We are all of us privileged to live a life that has been touched by Superman. The man of steel possessed many extraordinary gifts and he shared them with us freely. None of these gifts were more remarkable than his ability to discern what needed to be done and his unfailing courage in doing it, whatever the personal cost. Let us all strive to accept his gift and pass it along as an ongoing tribute to Kal-El of Krypton, the immigrant from the stars who taught us all how to be heroes."_

He leaves before the ceremony is over. He still needs to see if he has missed anything.

 

* * *

 

The batcave is mostly quiet these days. Everyone walks on glass around him and avoids mentioning Clark’s name. After his refusal to accept their condolences, arguing that Clark is still alive somewhere, everyone in the family has learned not to bring up the subject to Bruce. He hates seeing the pity in their eyes.

That only makes it more obvious that something isn’t right. The air in the mansion and the cave is stifling and a heaviness hangs all around him.

"You have a visitor, Master Bruce." He looks to see Diana greeting him with a grim smile.

"How are you doing, Bruce?" She asks, clasping him on the arms and searches his face for a sign.

"I'm still the same."

"I'm sorry, Bruce." Diana tightens her grip as pain bleeds into her voice.

He hears her, but the words don't make since in his head. Diana has no need to apologize, Clark is fine. He pats her shoulder soothingly. He's just missing that's all.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Clark knew what he was doing." Diana shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Bruce, everyone is concerned with how you're handling this. Alfred says you've watched that footage of Clark at least a hundred times already." Bruce moves out of her grasp and wraps his arms around his stomach.

"I know my limits, Diana." His stomach is even bigger now and it’s a daily reminder that his mate isn’t here with him. "Someone still needs to look for Clark."

Diana is quiet for a moment. She knows when she is fighting an uphill battle. "Just remember that you still have people who care about you, Bruce."

"Thank you," Bruce says, looking away. "I'm actually feeling a little tired right now. I think I'll head upstairs to rest."

"I'll leave you to your rest then." She hugs Bruce tightly before she leaves. What else could she say to the person whom she had inadvertently caused to lose a mate?

Bruce heads to his room, but he doesn't lie down. He didn't want to discuss Clark with Diana. Instead, he sits in his armchair speaking softly to their children. It's something he's been doing more often. They say children can hear and recognize their parent's voice even before they are born.

"Despite, what everyone says, I don’t think he’s dead." Bruce pulls out the red piece of cloth tucked safely in his pocket and runs his fingers over it. "They think I’m in denial, but your dad is really strong. He’s the strongest person I know." He brings the soft fabric to his lips. "He wouldn’t be taken out so easily. So quickly." Bruce isn’t sure where the faith comes from, but in his heart, he could still feel Clark with him.

Clark promised that he would be there for Bruce. Superman doesn't break promises.

Days go by, and one week becomes two then three. There is still no development in the case and Bruce is getting impatient. Thanks to Lois’s help, Clark is on an official leave of absence from the Daily Planet. Bruce knows that she helped set that up more for his sake than Clark’s.

Even Lois believed Clark was gone. She was one of the people who cried the hardest at Clark's funeral.

Due to the footage of Clark and Superman appearing at the same place when Lois interviewed them, there has been little connection to the absence of Clark Kent in conjunction with Superman.

He still conducts his business as Bruce Wayne, and in his spare time he would think about Clark.

But as days go by, every lead he has on Clark tuns out to be a dead end. Bruce was getting agitated and has more than once snapped at Dick and Tim when they tried to persuade him from his work.

Bruce is sitting at a board meeting with Oliver Queen and his secretary when he felt something not quite right. He excuses himself and marches swiftly into the men’s restroom and locks the door. He takes off his suit jacket and throws it on the counter. _Fuck._

The reason for his discomfort is quite obvious without his suit jacket to cover it up. Two damp spots were staring at him from the mirror.

_Of all the fucking things._

He begins unbuttoning his light blue dress shirt, the one that Clark says reminds him of the sky and tosses it on top of the suit jacket.

_Fuck this pregnancy._

_Fuck his chest for suddenly deciding to lactate in the middle of the board meeting._

_Fuck Clark for not being here so he can take it out on him._

Bruce is pissed. He grabs the shirt and begins wiping at the dark spots furiously with paper towel.

 _Fuck._ The stain is still too obvious. He grabs more paper towel from the dispenser and begins dabbing his chest instead. The scent of milk fills his nose. He throws the paper towels in the trash and takes a deep breath. His nails dig into his pal as he leans over the sink to collect himself.

He is in no mood to return to the board meeting. He is too angry. Too _milky._ Too pregnant for all this shit.

Someone outside the bathroom door begins knocking. He grabs his shirt, not sure whether to put the shirt back on or hide it. But then what was he going to do with just a suit jacket?

The door jiggles and he’s about to yell at the person to go find another restroom when Oliver fucking Queen opens the door. _Fucking Ollie._ “Just because someone locks themselves in the restroom doesn’t mean that you can pick the lock if they don’t answer” he growls.

Ollie looks immediately guilty, but concern takes over. “You’ve been gone for quite a while, Bruce. I thought something might have happened when you didn’t answer the door.”

“Well you can see that I’m perfectly fine now. You don’t need to be here,” Bruce glowers " I don’t want you to be here." Ollie closes the door behind him and walks towards Bruce carefully as if he was approaching a cornered animal. That infuriated Bruce even more.

“Why did you take off your sh-“ Ollie freezes mid-sentence. He could smell the sweetness of milk on Bruce’s skin.

Bruce is flushed red now. He’s not sure whether it’s from anger or embarrassment, maybe both. “It’s none of your business, Ollie! Leave me a- “Bruce suddenly clutches his stomach.

_The baby-_

Ollie grabs Bruce’s arm, not caring how angry the omega was at him seconds earlier. “What’s wrong, Bruce? What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Do you need to go to the hospital? I can take you to the hospital. Let’s go!” Ollie has half the mind to begin pulling Bruce out the restroom.

“No! Let go!” Bruce shouts and jerks his arm out of the alpha’s grasp. Oliver snaps out of his panic. He observes Bruce’s face to search for any sign of pain, but there was none. “The baby is fine. Babies.” Bruce says calmly. He takes a deep breath and Ollie could only focus on the Bruce’s flushed cheeks and sweet scent. A pregnant omega is truly a breathtaking sight. “I just felt them kick for the first time.” Bruce looks down at his stomach, his his arm still cradling his stomach as if not sure he really felt it.

“Babies?” Oliver faintly echoes.

“Oh you didn’t know. I’m having twins.” Bruce says in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Twins?”

“Yes twins. Are you going to repeat every word I say now?” Irritation tinges his voice again. Oliver shakes his head still trying to wrap his head around the news. _Twins._ Ollie’s hand twitches slightly at the memory of Bruce’s soft skin.

“If you ever need any-“

“I’m pregnant, Ollie. Not incompetent. I can take care of myself. I have Alfred.”

Ollie shakes his head. “I know you can take care of yourself. But if you ever need anything, just know that I am here. I still consider you my friend, Bruce.”

Bruce stares at him for a moment before nodding his head. “Okay, Oliver. I’ll keep you in mind.”

Bruce puts his shirt back on. Fortunately, the blazer is thick enough to conceal any noticeable wet stains.

Bruce goes back to the meeting and quickly dismisses the rest of the members, stating that there was other business he needs to attend to, not exactly a lie.

His irritation had mostly subsided, but he knows that Clark would have liked to be there for the babies' first kick. He could almost see Clark's face full of happiness and amazement.

 

* * *

 

Bruce is bigger now. His steps feel heavier and he’s not used to feeling so drained all the time. Even on his sleepless nights as Batman, he would usually recover after a three hour nap and a cup of coffee or tea.

But caffeine isn’t an option, and even after several hours of sleep, he still feels tired, like he's missing something. His heart feels heavy all the time these days.

It was a day like any other after Clark's disappearance. There was nothing to trigger the breaking of the dam, so when it finally did Bruce felt overwhelmed.

"I always thought that if things were to end, he would be right there with me," Bruce tells his unborn children. They are the ones who he confides in most these days. "I wanted you to be able to know what growing up with two parents would be like. Clark would have been such a great dad. He loves you so much." Tears fill Bruce's eyes. "I’m sorry you’re stuck with just me. I wanted so much better for you. I didn’t want to admit- I didn’t want to accept the idea that he could really be gone. Because- because that would mean that he- that he _died_ trying to save me, trying to save us." The dam breaks and all the turmoil he's kept under control flood through. "Because I didn’t get away fast enough. He was trying to protect me even though countless times I told him that I could take care of myself. And it’s my fault that you’re going to grow up not knowing what a great man your father was." He buries his face into his hands.

"He said that he would be there for me and I believe him. I trust him. He’s not the type to lie. He’s saved my life countless times and survived so much. So I can’t believe he died saving my life this time." He gasps as his voice breaks. "Because if I do, it would mean that he died because of me. That he’s never coming back and that I’ll never get to see him ever again."

 

* * *

 

_In another time_

A man sweats under the red sun shining high in the sky. He wipes the sweat off his brows with the back of his hand and looks at the endless dessert in front of him. He's been walking singularly towards the beacon for the past month, the only recognizable signal in this foreign world.

"I'm coming, Bruce. Just hold on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really wanted to write about a sad and pregnant Bruce <3  
> 


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